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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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Shelf .^.B-^-i* 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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W 22 1il7 



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RECOLLECTIONS 



OF A VISIT TO 



oi^glai^^; f rai^ce ai^^ Gern^si^N^; 



Made in 1862, 



AND 



So Gernpai^v] ii^ 155S. 



By Mrs. C. F. Barlosius 

OP FREDERICKSBURG, VA. 



^1^ 




I re^eKicl^sbarg : 
FREE LANCE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1887. 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1887, 

BV JOHN W. WOLTZ, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



FREE LANCE PRINT, 
FREDERICKSBURG, VA. 



JENKINS & WALTHALL, BINDERS, 
RICHMOND, VA. 



d 



DEDICATED TO MY HUSBAND. 



The author, born and raised in the county of Stafford, Vir- 
ginia, a county made memorable by scenes enacted within its 
borders during the war between the States, is deeply indebted 
to a kind, generous and noble husband for the privilege of look- 
ing beyond the confines of her native land and of observing the 
manners and customs of the people of the Old World, from 
which he came. 

To my husband is this work affectionately dedicated ; and 
the author, aware of her many delinquencies, and her inex- 
perience as '[a writer, begs a generous public to pardon and 
overlook, what may seem to the critic an act of temerity, in 
introducing herself and her travels in this manner to the public. 



A TRIP TO EUROPE 



CHAPTER I. 



We, husband and I, left Kew York on the steamer 
Glasgow, Captain Roskell, bound for Liverpool, July 
5th, 1862, when the storm cloud of war dimmed our 
country's sunny skies. We had many passengers 
and a rich cargo. We left about three o'clock. The 
weather was exceedingly warm ; we found it neces- 
sary to leave the window open in our state-room. In 
the night we got out to sea, when the waves, rolling 
mountain high, came in our window, and, as I had 
never been to sea before, I was very much frightened, 
and thought the ship had sprung a leak. I got up 
and opened the door leading into the saloon, and 
told the steward, "For God's sake, tell the captain 
the ship has sprung a leak and is sinking.'' Every 
place was dark, as the lights were put out in the 
rooms at twelve o'clock. The steward told me to go 
back to bed, and he would inform me when there 
was any danger. I went back to my state-room, and 
passed the long, weary night in anguish and tears, 
imagining all kinds of horrors. I sat on the floor 
all night, praying, every once in awhile putting my 
hand on the floor to see if the water was rising. Of 



6 Bee'oUcctions of a Trip to Earope. 

course, every time the ship made a lurch, the water, 
collected on the ledges and furniture from the open 
window, would fall on me as I sat on the floor. 

I cannot describe my feelings. I will never^ no, 
never forget that dreadful night. I moaned all night, 
remembering there were but a few planks between 
me and eternity. The long, weary night passed, 
and the sun rose like a ball of fire out of the sea; 
then I saw my fears were groundless, and felt very 
much ashamed of myself, especially at the breakfast 
table, when some of the gentlemen asked the cap- 
tain if he knew the ship had sprung a leak last night, 
when he passed, looking knowingly at me. Every 
time I saw the steward he would smile. After the 
first night I was not afraid, and would go to my state- 
room without fear, and thought it grand to be lulled 
to sleep by the booming of the waves against the 
ship; and no passenger on the steamer conld go up 
and down the steps with more agility than I could, 
and the doctor said I would make a capital steward- 
ess as I was never sea sick. Time passed very pleas- 
antly for the next few days ; we had music and games 
of all kinds. We often sat on the deck and watched 
the sea-gulls light on the waves to rest. On the 
fourth day out, a beautiful young Irish girl, who had 
left New York, hoping to reach her native land, 
died^ with the pathetic appeal to the Captain not to 
bury her in the cruel, treacherous sea. The passen- 
gers were saddened by the event, and many shed 
tears to the memory of the poor girl who never lived 



At Sea. 7 

to reach her native shores, where, perhaps, friends 
were waiting to welcome her. Long years have 
passed since then, bnt often I think of her and her 
sad fate. We buried her at sunrise in the deep, blue 
sea. The minister read the burial service, the corpse 
was sewed up in canvass and a plank arranged for 
sliding the body into the sea, and as the last word of 
the burial service was spoken, it was cast into the 
waters, just as the sun was rising. It was a sad and 
solemn sight. There she will remain lulled to sleep 
by the music of Kaid Queens in the gloomy aisles of 
the deep, while loving hearts are pining for one 
sweet look of eyes closed forever in sleep ; yes, dead, 
dead and by the wild sea's cold lips kissed; and 
hearts that are lightest shall know of a grief for her 
who shall ever be missed. 

Proud was the head, now at rest 'neath thy waves; 
lovely the form in thy fathomless caves, " Oh, whis- 
pering sea,*' oh, merciless sea. A few days after, 
twin babies were born in the steerage, and the ladies 
in the cabin called on the mother every day, bring- 
ing some little delicacy. The babies were very pretty, 
and we named them Ocean and Oceana^ because they 
were children of the sea, rocked by the wild waves 
on the bosom of the stormy Atlantic. When the 
steamer arrived at Queenstown, they, with their pa- 
rents, went ashore, and the children of the sea were 
lost to us forever. 

We met many ships, which were always saluted. 
One day the sailors cast a net behind the ship, which 



8 RefoUeetkms of a Trip to Europe. 

brought up a quantity of strange looking lisb, and 
among them was a curious looking one, which the 
sailors said was a Mermaid. It made a strange, moan- 
ing noise. The Captain ordered it thrown back in 
the sea. We saw a great many sharks and whales, 
also porpoises, and the icebergs were coming down 
like huge mountains. The Captain said they were 
as far under water as above it, and he had to steer 
the vessel so as to avoid the fields of floating ice. 
We saw also a great deal of sea-weed, which looked 
very beautiful, floating on the water. 



CHAPTER II 



We arrived at Liverpool the evening of the 18th, 
and after our baggage was overhauled took a carriage 
for the Victoria Hotel (patronized by Her Majesty), 
where we had to pay for passing the parlor door and 
looking in. The strawberries for desert were sold 
by the piece. That night, after retiring, a little bird 
flew in the window and lit on the bed-post; I re- 
marked, something has happened at home ; my hus- 
band said, don't be so foolish. But the iirst letter 
we received brought the sad tidings of the death of 
a young colored man who lived with us, and would 
have taken the trip with us, but was taken ill the 
morning we left. He died just at the time the bird 
flew in the window. Before landing at Liverpool, 
we passed the coast of Ireland and Wales, and saw 
the chalk hills of England. I never saw a picture 
more beautiful than the coast of Ireland. My first 
impression of England was not very pleasant, — I saw 
80 much poverty, so nmch misery. 

AV^e visited all the places of interest, but I cannot 
say I was very much impressed with Liverpool. The 
only place I saw that I liked was St. George's Hall, 
where we heard some fine music and singing. The 
Zoological Garden was not very fine. We went to 
several restaurants, gardens, and many public build- 



10 BccoUections of a Trip to Europe. 

ings, after which we left for London. ()ii the route 
we passed many beautiful villages, and the country 
through which we passed was in the highest state of 
cultivation. 

We stopped in London at Paynes' Hotel, near 
Temple Bar (which has since been pulled doAvn). 
The Hotel was kept by a widow lady ; we secured a 
very nice room, and every meal a girl dressed in a 
fancy cap would come up and say, " What will you 
have for breakfast, please?" I always said "Soles," 
Avhicli is a fish I am particularly fond of. The next 
day after arriving in London, we went sight-seeing; 
drove to the Bank of England; went through the 
Royal stables; saw all the Queen's riding horses, and 
carriages of every description. The stables are kept 
in perfect order, and the hostlers were all in livery. 
The horses were beautiful, and the name of each was 
over the stall. The Queen was at Isle of Wight, 
mourning for Prince Albert, who had died a short 
time before. We went to St. James' Park, and Hyde 
Park. Xear the latter Park we observed an old wo- 
man Avith a table of refreshments ; she had a cow 
tied to the leg of the table; we asked her for a glass 
of milk; she picked up a glass and milked the cow 
in it, and handed it to us; but not being partial to 
warm milk we declined. The Parks are beautiful, 
every thing is so neat and clean, not a dry leaf to be 
seen. A great many school-children seemed to be 
having a pic-nic in the Parks. 

We went throuorh the Thames Tunnel. Just im- 



London, 11 

agine crossing the River Thames on dry land, and 
the ships sailing overhead. In the Tunnel there 
were tables of fancy articles and jewelry for sale, and 
a band of music played some very sweet airs. Lon- 
don is a very tine city, but it is foggy and misting 
nearly all the time, looks as if it rains six months 
in the year. 

We went to the Crystal Palace, at Sydenham , 
where we saw Blondin walk the tight-rope, stretched 
across the roof of the Palace; also went to the great 
Exposition, where we saw many wonderful things 
from far distant lantls. Some of the monuments are 
very tine. Among them may be mentioned the Kel- 
son Monument. We went through a great many 
museums, and saw many monuments, dedicated to 
distinguished men. One day we went to Westminster 
Abbey, where we stood by the grave of Mary, Queen 
of Scotts, and Queen Elizabeth. There they repose, 
side by side ; after life's storms they seem to rest welL 
Mary was the daughter of James V., of Scotland, and 
Mary, of Lorraine, eldest daughter of Claude, Duke of 
Guise, and widow of Lewis, Duke of LongueviUe. 
"She was married to Francis II., King of France, 
upon which occasion she assumed the title of Queen 
of England. On the death of her consort, Francis 
II., in 1560, she returned to Scotland, of which king- 
dom she was Queen, and espoused Henry Stuart, 
Lord Darnley, son of the Earl of Lennox, who be- 
came jealous of some familiarities between his queen 
and David Rizzio, the famous Italian musician. Riz- 



12 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

zio was killed in her presence, after which she became 
fond of the Earl of Both well, who killed Lord Darn- 
ley and married his queen, though he was the father 
of her son. Prince James. The Scotch Lords drove 
Bothwell into banishment, who lived very miserably, 
in Denmark," while the Earl of Murray assumed su- 
preme authority in the name of Prince James, while 
the Queen took refuge in England, where Queen 
Elizabeth threw her into prison, and kept her there 
eighteen years, when she brought her to a trial for 
being an accomplice in certain conspiracies formed 
against her person, and for which she was beheaded 
on the 18th of February, 1587, in Fotheringay Cas- 
tle, in the forty-sixth year of her age. Queen Eliza- 
beth, who was an excellent dissembler, immediately 
sent a letter to her son, disavowing her privity to his 
mother's execution. History says that on the eve- 
ning before her execution Queen Mary called in all 
her servants and asked their pardon for any otlence 
toward them: took a solemn farwell of each, having 
distributed her money and jewels among them, she 
retired to rest at her usual hour, slept some, and 
spent the rest of the night in prayer. Towards 
morning she dressed herself in a rich robe of silk and 
velvet, which, of all her wardrobe, she had reserved 
for this awful occasion. While her women wept and 
lamented, she gently reproved them, and desired 
them to pray for her. The sheriff entered the room 
and informed her that her hour had come: she replied 
that she was ready and followed him with a serene 



London. Vo 

and cheerful countenanee. In passluii; through the 
ante ehamber, Sir Andrew Melville, the master of her 
househohl, fell on his knees, and lamented that he 
was doomed to carry the news of her unhappy fate 
to Scotland. "Weep not, good Melville, for me,'' 
she said, "but rather rejoice that Mary Stuart is to 
be so soon relieved of all her sorrows." She, theUy 
delivered her last farewell and passed on to the place 
of execution, where a vast concourse was assembled. 
"The tolling bell and a universal niurmer of sorrow 
announced her approach;" her countenance was 
pale and serene, and the religious composure of her 
look was even sublime. Her eyes being covered with 
a handkerchief, she laid herself down without fear 
or trepidation. At two strokes her head was severed 
from her body. Thus ended this mournful tragedyy 
which cast an indellible stain on the memory of Eliz- 
abeth, and threw a dark cloud over the annals of her 
glorious reign. Mary was a Catholic, and on the 
scaffold she was urged to renounce the errors of 
Popery, but she said, " I was born in this religion ; 
I have lived in this religion, and in this religion I 
am resolved to die." 



CHAPTER III. 



In one of the museums we saw the pen with 
which OUver Cromwell signed the death warrant of 
Charles I.: we were also in the room where he was 
sentenced, and saw the door out of which he passed 
on his way to execution. We went to the house of 
Parliament, also to a divorce court ; saw several 
marriages. Saw in a laro-e hall a man black as 
Hades, said to be King of Hayti ; visited every place 
of interest — Zoological Garden, museums, monu- 
ments, theatres, concerts, crossed long bridges, 
sailed on the river Thames, rode in all kinds of 
vehicles, stood by the graves of many distinguished 
men; saw the picture of Robin Hood and his merry 
men. Robin Hood was an outlaw and robber, who 
lived in the beginning of the fourteenth century in 
Sherwood Forest, England, with a body of followers, 
which included the famous Friar Tack, Little John, 
and the maid, Marian. Tradition paints him in ro- 
mantic colors, as possessing gallant and magnani- 
mous qualities, which endeared him to the lower 
classes, and won admiration from higher sources. 
He was considered the best archer in the world, his 
arrow never missing its aim; brave as the bravest, 
and if the stories sung to his memory are true, he 
was a jolly good hearted fellow. It is stated that 



London. 15 

when he 8tole from the rich he often gave to the 
poor, and that he was never cruel or killed people 
without provocation, but for all that Robin Hood 
was a robber and an outlaw, with a price set upon 
his head. 

We visited many fine theatres. In one we saw a 
play by a parcel of children, called Whittington and 
his Cat, which was very amusing. We went into *a 
restaurant and ate shrimps, a kind of shell fish 
roasted; we gave a few cents for enough to make 
a meal ; I never saw them before and thought them 
very nice. There are many restaurants kept on the 
American plan. In passing one of the principal 
streets we saw on a house a stone sarcophagus, said 
to contain the corpse of a man, whose name I have 
forgotten. He left in his will that as long as his 
body was above ground his relations should not in- 
herit his wealth, so his body remains above ground 
to this day. 

We made many pleasant acquaintances, among 
them a young Irish girl, who never tired of abusing 
Queen Victoria, and sounding the praises of Erin's 
green isle. 8he said she would yet live to see Ire- 
land free. Many years have passed since then, but 
I have never forgotton those words. For the time 
will yet come when we will unfold Erin's flag and 
fling its folds to the breeze; and it will fjet irave over 
the Land and float over the Seas. 

" For her sons are true-hearted and free. 
With despots and sceptres overthrown ; 



16 RecoUecUoKS of a Trip to Europe. 

Will make for the Isle of the Sea 

A Parliament house of their own ; 
Her daughters so fair and so true, 

With virtues more precious than gold 
On history's page will renew 

The love and the legends of old. 
lVe7/ stand by the brave men at home, 

Brave Healy and gallant Parnell ; 
Wherever our footsteps may roam 

Our hearts in Dear Erin will dwell." 

One day we went to Hampton Court Palace, the 
residence of the Kings and Queens, from William 
the Conqueror doim. Their portraits hang in every 
room. From the windows, which overlook the pri- 
vate gardens, there is a grand view of the rivers, 
Thames, Mole and Ember, and the Surry hills in 
the distance. The slopes, yew trees and Queen 
Mary's bower, in the fore ground; also the railway 
station and road which conveys thousands of persons 
to see the splendid avenue of horse-chestnuts and 
thorns in full bloom in Bushby Park. The lime 
trees and roses till the air with their rich fragrance. 

We went all through the Palace — in the private 
dressing rooms, and bed rooms — saw the state bed of 
Queen Charlotte and King William III. ; through 
the dining rooms, chapel, picture galleries. Among 
the pictures are some which I liked to look at and 
study attentively. One, the Queen of Bohemia. This 
amiable princess saw only a phantom of royalty, and 
had nothing more than the empty title of Queen ; 
bore her misfortunes with that dignitied composure 



Londoyi. 17 

which can alone emanate from a truly virtuous mind. 
Her many privations, her long adversity, " her years 
of disappointment, only increased her resignation to 
the will of Heaven." So engaging was her beha- 
vior that in the low countries she was called " Queen 
of Hearts." General Wolfe, who stormed the heights 
of Abraham, and was shot in the midst of victory, 
when in the interval of fainting fits which preceded 
the agonies of death, he heard the cry, " They run;" 
being told it was the French, then said he, " Thank 
God! I die contented." Three days after the action 
Quebec surrendered, and Canada was lost to France. 
Wolfe fell in his thirty-fourth year. The original 
picture was painted for Earl Grosvener, but when 
George HI. saw it, he was so delighted with it, that 
after lamenting he could not purchase it, his Majesty 
immediately ordered a copy for himself. 

Another, Gondomar, Spanish Embassador to the 
Court of James I., who became all things to all meUy 
for political purposes ; who spoke Latin with King 
James, drank with the King of Denmark, his bro- 
ther-in-law, and assured the Earl of Bristol, when 
Ambassador to Madrid, that he was an Englishman 
at heart. He was also very gallant to the ladies, to 
whom he frequently made presents; he is represented 
as a finished minister, possessing that consummate 
address which can hide the most insidious intentions 
under the appearance of openess and manly candor. 

A magnificent painting of the Battle of Trafalgar, 
where Lord Nelson gloriously fell October 21, 1805. 



18 BecoUections of a Trij) to Europe. 

The Royal Yacht in a storm, commemorating the 
interesting historical event of her Majesty, Queen 
Charlotte, coming to England to be married to George 
in., in 1761. 

The Triumphs of Julius C?esar, consisting of nine 
pictures in water colors, painted by Andrea Man- 
tegna, was bought by Charles I. for 80,000 pounds. 
Also, the paintings of Raphael, and a chalk drawing 
of his celebrated picture of the Transfiguration. 
This fine copy was made by Casanove for Lord Bal- 
timore, who presented it to his Majesty George III. 
Raphael was one of the most celebrated painters of 
his day. He was called the Prince of Painters; he 
was born in 1483, and died on the day he completed 
his thirty-seventh year, having but lately finished his 
glorious w^ork of the Transfiguration. His body was 
laid out in his painting room. This grand picture 
stood by it. No funeral oration could have expressed, 
^o forcibly, as this simple arrangement, the unlimited 
powders of the human soul, or the frail tenure of 
earthly greatness. Tradition says Raphael was once 
painting an altar piece, which was for the time veiled 
from the curious gaze by green curtains while the 
paint was in process of drying. The artist, weary 
with his work, fell asleep before the closed hangings, 
but though his body slumbered, his wondrous mind 
still wandered through the realms of fancy, and as 
he lay in sleep he saw the curtains open, and stand- 
ing between them, surrounded by myriads of che- 
rubim, a glorious vision of the Madonna and her 



London. 19 

child. For a moment only the apparition lasted, 
then the painter awoke to find the curtain closed be- 
fore the altar piece. I^ext day he received an order 
to paint a Madonna and child for the Sistine Chapel, 
introducing Pope St. Sixtus. 

Raphael, still haunted by the remembrance of his 
dream, resolved to paint what he had seen. He 
sketched the Madonna, surrounded by angel heads. 
With the green curtains drawn back on both sides, 
St. Sixtus knelt down in admiration, his tiara resting 
on the altar ledge. St. Barbara occupied the other 
side of the painting. The picture was complete, the 
vision was there, and the requirements of the order 
fulfilled, still something was wanting. The bare ledge 
troubled the artist's eye, till one day, going to his 
study, he saw two boys leaning on the side, looking 
intently at his work. He seized the happy moment 
and fixed them on his canvas as the "adoring che- 
rubim." We went through a beautiful colonnade 
erected by Sir Christopher Wren, who was a cele- 
brated architect, and was employed by William HI. 
to pull down part of the old Palace, and to build what 
is now called the Fountain Court, where all the state 
apartments are, which was finished in 1690. Wren 
was born in Wiltshire in 1632. At the age of four- 
teen he was sent to Oxford, and in 1657, was chosen 
Professor of Astronomy. At Gresham College, in 
1665, he was nominated architect for rebuilding St. 
Paul's Cathedral; and immediately after the fire of 



20 Recollections of a 2\ip to Europe. 

London, he drew the plan of a new city, which he 
presented to the King, but it was not adopted. In 
1668, he succeeded to the office of Surveyor-General 
of his Majesty's works. He died in 1723, in the 
91st year of his age, and was buried in St. Paul's 
Cathedral, which is the greatest effort of his genius. 
In the bed room of King William III., is the state 
bed of Queen Charlotte. The furniture is a beauti- 
ful specimen of embroidered needle-work, executed 
at an institution for the orphan daughters of clergy- 
men, which was under the patronage of Her Majesty. 
The ceilinjj; represents niicht and mornini^; the clock 
which stands at the head of the bed runs twelve 
months without winding. There is a splendid paint- 
ing of Peter the Great, Emperor of Kussia, whole 
length, in armour, dated 1698, the year in which the 
Czar visited England. Peter the Great was born in 
Moscow, 11th of June, 1672. A monarch who 
proved one of the greatest benefactors to his coun- 
try; he founded St. Petersburg, improved the ma- 
rine, taught the Russians the art of ship buildings 
encouraged learning, promoted commerce, and ex- 
tended the power and political intluence of Musco- 
vey. Voltaire said: ''He gave a polish to his peo- 
ple, and was himself a savage ; he taught them the 
art of war, of which he himself was ignorant. From 
the sight of a small boat on the river Moskwa, he 
created a powerful Heet, made himself an expert and 
active shipwright, sailor, pilot and commander; he 



London. 21 

changed the manners, customs and laws of the Rus- 
sians, and lives in their memory as the father of his 
countr3^" 

The King's private dressing room is hung with 
tapestry representing the battle of Solehy; some 
vases in this room were brought to England by King 
William III. George II. and his Queen Caroline, 
were the last sovereigns that resided at Hampton 
Court; it is said to contain eight acres of land. We 
went through the Maze, which is constructed like an 
immense puzzle, with hundreds of bushes, some six 
feet high. Parties go in there and start in diiferent 
directions, and try to find each other. " This be- 
comes bewildering, as you are bound to lose yourself, 
and sometimes wander around for hours. It affords 
lots of fun for lovers." 

Xear by is the great grape vine that annually bears 
thousands of bunches of grapes, and is dedicated 
loholly to the Queen's service. The Kew garden is 
very fine; some very large trees grow in this garden. 
In the Museum we saw an old Sedan chair, said to 
have been used by Queen Elizabeth to attend grand 
masquerades. 

" Can't you fancy Sir Plumes, as beside her he stands, 
With his ruffles adroop on his delicate hands; 
With his cinnamon coat, and his laced solitaire. 
As he lifts her out light from the old Sedan chair? " 

When Queen Elizabeth died, twenty-seven fans 
w^ere found in her wardrobe ; one of them was valued 
at £400. The handle was covered with diamonds. 



9? 



Recollections of a Trip to Euroj^e. 



And six thousand dresses were found in her ward- 
robe at her death. One very interesting picture of 
Queen EUzabeth, taken when she was twelve years 
of age, hangs in the Queen's gallery; the complexion 
is fair, the hair light red. Over a white satin skirt, 
richly embroidered with gold, she has a crimson 
dress, adorned at the waist and neck with jewels and 
pearls, and a cap of the same color, also embroidered 
with jewels. In her long, thin hands she holds a 
prayer-book. The picture is most elaborately finished. 

In an allegorical picture of Elizabeth, when thirty- 
six years of age, she is represented in a splendid 
dress, with the Orb and Scepter, attended by her 
maids of honor, at which Venus is abashed, Minerva 
is astonished, and Juno put to flight. 

The great Hall in the Palace was designed by 
Wolsey, and finished by Henry YIII., when Anne 
Boleyn was in the height of favor. It is one hundred 
and six feet long, forty wide, and sixty high; the 
roof is very elaborately carved, and richly decorated 
with the arms and badges of Henry YIII., and strikes 
every eye with its magnificence, the grandeur of its 
proportions, and the propriety of its ornaments. It 
was used as a theatre during the reign of Elizabeth 
and James I., and there is a tradition that some of 
the plays of the immortal Shakespeare were first 
acted in this hall. 

In 1829 the parish of Hampton obtain(?d permis- 
sion of George IV. to fit it up for Divine service, dur- 
ing the rebuilding of Hampton Church, and it was 



London. 23 

used as the Parish Church for about two years. 
The walls are huug with a fine specimen of tapestry 
in eight compartments, the arabesque borders of 
which are most beautiful 

London is a very large city. It would take a long 
time to enumerate the many wonderful things to be 
seen there. The people have many strange customs; 
one is the locking up of the Tower. A few minutes 
before the clock strikes eleven the porter, with an 
attendant, appears before the main guard house, car- 
rying a lantern, and calls out, "Escort keys!" 
The guard, supplied always from the Queen's house- 
hold troops, then turns out and escorts keys to the 
outer gate, each sentry challenging as they pass his 
post, — "Who goes there?" "Keys." After the 
gates are locked and barred the procession returns, 
the sentries exacting the same explanation as before. 
When they come in front of the main guard house 
the sentry stationed there gives a loud stamp on the 
ground with his foot, and demands, " Who goes 
there?" "Keys." "Whose keys?" ^' Queen Vic- 
toria's keys." " Pass Queen Victoria's keys, all's well." 
The porter then calls out, " God bless Queen Victoria/' 
to which the main guard responds, "Amen." The 
guard then presents arms, the officer kisses the hilt 
of his sword, and the keys are deposited in the lieu- 
tenant's lodgings. It sometimes happens that strang- 
ers visiting the Tower do not get out before the time 
comes to lock up, and, in that event, they have to 
spend the night on benches in the guard room. 



24 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

The wine vaults of London are simply o-reat cel- 
lars under the dock-houses. In area they aggregate 
some thirty-five acres. They extend under the 
Thames on one side, and well under Tower Hill on 
the other; they reach out in strange passages and 
alleys in all directions ; they contain wine that came 
from the south of Spain, put there b}' its owner, who 
fell dead in the vaults over fifty years ago. . 

After leaving London, we took the train for Dover. 
On our way we had a fine view of the chalk hills of 
England, which were a grand sight. In the passage 
through the English Channel, on our way to Calais, 
in France, many miles from land, stands a lone rock, 
rising some fifty feet above the l6vel of the sea; its 
form is conic, having the appearance of a sugar loaf 
or light-house in the distance. Ships sometimes, 
when under good headway, venture to draw close up 
to this singular rock in the ocean. The sea rushes 
up its glassy sides, as it probably has been doing ever 
since the deluge, which has given it the appearance 
of a glassy polish, seen from every point. This rock 
has always been a terror to the mariner when in its 
vicinity during a storm. What a tragic story could 
it tell, if it were intelligible, of the thousands of ter- 
rific storms, and thousands upon thousands of raging 
seas rushing on and around its sides; and how hun- 
dreds of heavily laden ships, with one bound,* in a 
driving storm, Avere dashed to pieces, and the poor 
heart-stricken mariners, unwarned and unprepared, 
engulfed at its base, their sad and tragic story, 



London. 25 

never to be known until the resurrection of the dead ; 
and yet it stands as unmoved and undisturbed as 
when it was first fashioned by its Creator. 



CHAPTER IV. 



In crossinsc the channel a s^reat many hecame sea- 
sick. When we arrived at Calais every one was speak- 
ing French. It looked strange to leave England, 
where every one was speaking English, and in a few 
hours be in France, and hear nothing but French. 
Calais is surrounded by a moat and wall, and de- 
fended by a very large citadel. The streets are wide 
and regular; the surrounding country is flat; the 
soil light and dry, and the cool sea breezes are con- 
stantly blowing through the town; the inhabitants 
are engaged in herring and cod fishing, and distilling 
spirits ; there are a great many English residents en- 
gaged in lace manufacturing. We found a nice res- 
taurant at the station, which enabled us to obtain re- 
freshments. 

After leaving Calais, we went to Paris, the gay 
French Capital. We drove to Grand Hotel Du Lou- 
vre, where we met strangers from all parts of the 
world. It is a magnificent hotel ; the yard was co- 
vered with glass, the waiters spoke all languages, we 
had a lovely room, magnificently furnished. There 
was a large fire across the street the night of our ar- 
rival, which burned several blocks. 

Paris is situated on the river Seine. The streets 
are very grand and lively, and thronged with gayly 



France. 27 

dressed people. Among the objects of interest, are 
to be mentioned, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, 
erected in the twelfth centnry. It has two majestic 
towers. The collossal bell in the I^orth tower is only 
rung on State occasions, and requires the labor of 
eight men. There are beautiful paintings and rare 
carvings in the choir, which are supported by mas- 
sive pillars; the floor is of marble; the altar is mag- 
nificently carved. In a niche is a beautiful marble 
group, representing the Descent from the Cross. The 
Pantheon is classed among the most beautiful build- 
ings in Paris; the most celebrated men are placed in 
its tombs; the remains of Voltcdre and Rousseau are 
interred here. The Jewish Church is also very grand ; 
it is supported on thirty Doric pillars. The Palace 
of the Tuilleries, formerly the residence of the Kings 
of France, has beautiful gardens, adorned with sta- 
tues, vases and fountains. The Louvre is the most 
beautiful of the Parisian Palaces; its splendid pic- 
ture galleries reach to the Tuilleries. We went all 
through the Palace ; saw the pictures of Josephine 
and Maria Louise, the two wives of Napoleon Bona- 
parte. Maria Louise was in all respects the opposite 
of the brilliant, fascinating Josephine, of whom she 
was mortallj' jealous. Napoleon could not exasper- 
ate her more than by telling her he was going to pay 
a visit to his repudiated wife. 

The bright days of the career, of Maria Louise 
lasted for two 3- ears only. She had been the greatest 
lady in the world, and the wife of the world's greatest 



28 BecoUecttons of a Trip to Europe. 

man, but the sun of her prosperity declined, and she, 
who had the world at her feet, sank without a strug- 
gle, but fortunately her illustrious husband died in 
ignorance of her infamy and weakness, and gave her 
in his memor}' a shrine side by side with that dedi- 
cated to the image of Josephine. 

The Palace of the Luxemburg is very grand; has 
a lovely garden. It was built by Mary de Medici, 
daughter of Francis II., Grand Duke of Tuscany, 
and wife of Henry IV., King of France; was born 
at Florence in 1573. On the death of her husband, 
in 1610, she was named regent of the kingdom. 
She was a woman of great political intrigue and un- 
bounded andution; she died in poverty in Cologne, 
in 1642. 

The Palais Roj'al contains innumerable courts, 
galleries and arcades, and a garden planned by Car- 
dinal Bkhelieu. The shops consist mostly of libra- 
ries, jewelers, booksellers, confectioners, coffee- 
houses. There is music every evening in the garden. 

The Palace of Justice and Arts are beautiful 
buildings. We saw the pillar built by Catharine de 
Medici, on which she was accustomed to make 
her astronomical observations. Paris also contains 
many public libraries and museums: — the Chapel of 
St. Ferdinand, erected on the spot where the Duke 
of Orleans died, in 1842, and the Chapel Expiatese, 
where the remains of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoin- 
ette were interred, after being guillotined. There 
is a lady in Hungary who has the distaff used by 



France. 29 

Marie Antoinette, in spinning, during her imprison- 
ment; it is of wood and ivory, inlaid with silver, 
and still bears the hemp left upon it by its ill-fated 
Queen on the eve of her execution. 

At the hotel we made the acquaintance of a Hol- 
land gentleman and his w^ife. She was a native of 
the Island of Java, and could speak English, French, 
German and Italian. She was very dark-complected. 
We travelled together to Versailles to see the foun- 
tains play, and when we returned a party of gen- 
tlemen from INew York were standing on the steps 
of the hotel, and one of them asked me " why I rode 
out with that colored woman." 

We visited the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, which 
contains the tomb of Abelard and Heloise, two lov- 
ers, who died in 1142 and 1164, respeetiveli/, and the 
tomb of Baron Larrey, Surgeon of Napoleon I., and 
many distinguished men. The Mausoleum of Deiii- 
idotf and the tomb of Racheal, the great actress, and 
many French generals and o;reat men are buried 
here. Nearly every grave had a wreath of immor- 
telles on it. We visited the Hotel Des Invalides, 
which contains the tomb of Napoleon I. The colors 
taken in the different battles are hung around in the 
recess called the Chapelle Ardente, and the sword 
the Emperor wore at Austerlitz, the insignia he used 
to wear on state occasions, and the crown of gold 
voted by the town of Cherbourg. Close to this tomb 
in a separate recess is the tomb of Prince Jerome. 



30 Becollections of a Trip to Europe. 

* In a vault beneath the pavement of the dome are 
the bodies of several of Napoleon's marshals. 

The idea of fortifyin^^ the city of Paris originated 
with Napoleon, but it was not carried out until 1841, 
when 140,000,000 francs were granted for the pur- 
pose. 

The banks of the Seine are skirted with spacious 
quays, forming two lines of road, the most ancient 
dating from 1312. Napoleon I, extended and im- 
proved them considerably. Before Louis X\^., 
Paris was lighted during only nine months of the 
year, and then only in the absence of moonlight. 
That Monarch decreed its continuance during the 
whole year. Before gas was introduced the city was 
lighted by lamps suspended from ropes hung across 
the streets. 



CHAPTER V. 



When N'apoleon the Great died at St. Helena, an 
English physician took charge of his heart, deposit- 
ing it in a silver basin tilled with water; two tapers 
burned near, but the custodian felt nervously anxious 
while watching it during the night, and did not 
sleep. In the silence of the night he heard a rnstlmg 
sound, then a plunge in the water, and a rebound on 
the floor. All occurring with the quickness of 
thought, he sprang from his bed to see an enormous 
rat dragging the precious relic to his hole. 

A moment more, and the heart which had been 
too vast in its ambition to be satisfied with the sove- 
reignty of continental Europe, would have been more 
degraded than the dust of Imperial Csesar. 

St. Helena is a precipitous and lone island in the 
Atlantic ocean, belonging to Great Britain. It occu- 
pies an area of forty-seven square miles, and is al- 
most entirely surrounded by rugged, perpendicular 
rocks, rising from six hundred to over one thousand 
feet, here and there broken through by chasms ex- 
tending to the sea-shore. St. James Valley, termin- 
ating in Jamestown, is the only port on the island, 
and the residence of all the authorities. The latter 
i« so strongly defended, both by nature and art, that 
it is almost impregnable to invasion. The interior 



32 Recollections of a Trip to Europe, 

is fertile, and abounds in orchards and plantations; 
the climate is so healthy that invalids from India 
make it a resort. 

The imperishable celebrity of St. Helena, is due 
to its having been the place of confinement in which 
Napoleon I. sufiered the agony of exile under En- 
glish guard, from 1815 to 1821, and where his re- 
mains laid interred until 1840, when, by permission 
of the English government, they were removed to 
France. While we were in Paris, we saw some of 
[N^apoleon's old soldiers, some with one leg, others 
with one arm, all happy with the reflection that they 
had fought under the great Nccpoleon. 

We also saw the Zouaves who fought at Sevastopol, 
We saw, among many cannon captured by Napoleon, 
two Russian howitzers from Sevastopol, and eight 
Prussian guns, cast in Berlin in 1708, by order of 
Frederick I., which were taken at Austerlltz. 

There was also 2^ grand picture of Napoleon I., as- 
cending Mont St. Bernard, and the cannon ball by 
which Marshal Turenne was killed, and many other 
relics that bore close relation to the immoi-tal " man 
of destiny." 

The Church of the Madeline is very fine. The 
first stone was laid in 1764, and it was finished by 
Louis Phillippe. It is surrounded by 62 Corinthian 
pillars, ornamented by a splendid facade. This build- 
ing was intended by Napoleon to represent the Tem- 
ple of Fame. The interior is magnificently orna- 
mented with rich gilding, paintings and statuary, and 



France. 33 

lighted by its three domes, which are most beauti- 
fully painted. 

The Church of St. Germaine is the oldest in Paris, 
containing the monument to Count Casimer of Po- 
land. The Church of St. Sulplice has a beautiful por- 
tico, baptismal fonts of colossal shells, and a beauti- 
ful pulpit. 

We spent a delightful time in Paris, every day see- 
ing something new. We employed an interpreter 
by the day; he could speak several languages, and 
we found him very useful. The markets of Paris 
are very line. We had English rabbits, snail soup^ 
and birds-nest pudding, served at the hotel. At that 
time tomatoes were not eaten in France; they were 
called "love apples," and were used as ornaments. 
I shall never forget the look of horror on the wai- 
ter's countenance when we brought some tomatoes 
to the hotel, and told him to slice them up and dress 
them with vinegar. He could not believe we would 
eat them. 

When Sunday came, bands of music would be seen 
going out to the various gardens, while people gayly 
dressed thronged the streets. Soldiers of every na- 
tionality, magnificently uniformed, promenaded the 
streets. It seemed to be a general holiday. Oppo- 
site the hotel the builders were at work on a house. 
I watched them until mid-day, then their labors 
ceased for the day. We went to the Bois de Bou- 
logne, a fashionable resort, where the most splendid 
equipages and finest horses of the capital are dis- 



34 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

played. There art and taste have conspired to charm 
the eye with the most picturesque scenery; there are 
two charming cascades, which send their waters 
bounding from rock to rock, or gushing from cre- 
vices skillfully arranged into the lake beneath; 
winding paths, emerging from the cool fir groves 
here and there, intersect the rich turf which clothes 
the banks down to the water's edge; the rich equip- 
ages enlivening the carriage road that winds around 
the lake; the crowds of persons, of all ranks, enjoy- 
ing the cool shade on the iron benches provided for 
their convenience, or sauntering along the gravel 
walks; children frolicking about in the height of 
merriment and glee; and the boats plying to and fro 
with their w^hite canvas awnings shining in the sun 
form a maze of bustle and animation most pleasing 
to the eye. It is the evening, especially a little after 
sunset, when the gay barques, with their colored lan- 
terns, gliding along and crossing each other in every 
direction ; the scene is lovely. The Bois de Boulogne 
has been long known as a place for duelling and 
suicides. 

The Champs Elysees, another fashionable prome- 
nade, extends along the banks of the Seine, In 1814 
a Cossack Bivouac was established in the Champ 
Elysees, and in 1815 the English encamped there. 
The most animated part of the Champ Elysees is the 
Avenue, which is the favorite walk of the gay Par- 
isians. On Sundays and holidays, in particular, the 
shopkeeper and workman may be seen here jostling 



France, 35 

the lion of the boulevards, while aristocratic velvets 
and cashmere shawls meet in close contact \Ndth hum- 
ble merinos and coarse tarltans. Under the proves 
are toy and ginger-bread stalls, and other attractions 
for the rising generation. Jugglers and tumblers 
attract a crowd of spectators, while Punch squeaks 
his secular jokes to his delighted juvenile audience. 
Handsome coffee-houses, scattered among the trees, 
on either side, attract the loiterer by their cheerful 
lights, varied refreshments, vocal and instrumental 
music. There are several elegant fountains, some 
surrounded by flower-beds. The effect of the double 
line of lamps along the carriage road, after dark, is 
peculiarly splendid. The Place de la Concord is fa- 
mous as the place where Louis XYL, Charlotte Cor- 
day, Marie Antoinette, Consort of Louis XYL, 
Louis Phillippe, Duke of Orleans, suffered death. 
From 1793 to 1795 more than 2,800 persons were 
executed here. 

We visited a garden called Jardin Mabille. It is 
a large circular space with a pavilion for the orches- 
tra. The centre is reserved for the dancers, and is 
lighted by a profusion of gas lights suspended from 
artificial palm trees, while small shady bowers placed 
around afford the dancers the means of repose, after 
the fatigues of the polka or waltz, apart from the in- 
trusive eye of idle curiosity. A snug corner is laid 
out with tables for refreshments ; here the sober Par- 
isian may enjoy his bottle of beer and cigar, or the 
votary of Terpsichore treat his partner to a refresh- 



36 Recollections of a Trip to Mirojye. 

ing lemonade, and recruit for subsequent exercise in 
the mazy waltz. Those who visit this elegant gar- 
den, we should state, generally, come under the de- 
scription of the "gayest of the gay," and the license 
of the dance is frequently carried beyond the limits 
of propriety. All strangers visit these gardens. It 
was there I lirst saw the Can Can danced, and I 
thought it disgusting. 

We went to Versailles and passed through Sevres, 
where we saw them make china-ware. It would 
take a volume to explain the beauties of the Palace; 
its pleasure grounds, galleries and saloons, containing 
the historical museum and collection of paintings, 
representing the history and wars of France. The 
floors are studded with statuary. AYe visited the 
throne room, where Louis XIV. received ambassa- 
dors, accepted the apology of the Doge of Genoa, 
and, in 1715, held his last public audience. It was 
used for similar purposes by Louis XV. and Louis 
XYI. Splendid fetes were held here, of which those 
of the marriage of the Duke de Bourgogne, in 1697, 
on the arrival of Marie Antoinette, and on the oc- 
casion of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's visit, Au- 
gust 25, 1855, were the most brilliant. The private 
apartments were thrown open to the guests, and the 
stairs, vestibules and sitting-rooms decked with the 
rarest flowers. Queen Victoria opened the ball with 
the Emperor in a quadrille, and waltzed with him in 
the course of the evening. We saw the balcony 
where Louis XVL, attended by the Queen, Marie 



France. 37 

Antoinette, and his children, addressed the infuriated 
mob, who came to tear him from his throne, on the 
6th of October, 1789, and the altar, where the mar- 
riage of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette took 
place, in 1769. 

Versailles is a beautiful city, the streets are wide 
and clean, and in the summer nothing can be more 
delightful than its numerous walks and drives ; the 
country around is extremely picturesque. 

We saw the carriage used by Napoleon L, when 
elected first consul, and another used for the bap- 
tism of the King of Rome, son of I^apoleon I., and 
Marie Louise ; also the Sedan chair of Marie An- 
toinette, also the bed of the Empress Josephine. 
The fountains are magnificent, hundreds of people 
leave Paris to watch them play; notice is always 
given in the papers. The Hall or Tennis Court, the 
scene of the first decided act of the French Revolu- 
tion is also very interesting. The cabinet of natural 
History, the Opera Saloon, the Chapel, the Park 
w^ith its splendid statues, fountains and cascades 
planned by Louis XIY., and many other interesting 
places. We saw the statue to Marshal Ney, who 
was the son of a cooper, and who entered the French 
Army as a private in 1787, rose to be a general in 
nine years by his abilities and dashing bravery, and 
became a marshal in 1804. He served in Spain 
and Russia. It was by his superhuman efforts and 
valor in the disastrous retreat of the latter campaign 
that he won from Napoleon the title of "Bravest of 



38 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

the brave. " Although he submitted to Louis XVIII. , 
^N'ey subsequently espoused the cause of the return- 
ing IN'apoleon, and after the disaster at Waterloo 
he was shot for treason ; he is buried in Pere le 
Chaise Cemetery, and a square of flowers marks his 
resting place. 

In the Louvre, in Paris, we saw the Yenus of 
Milo, which has a history. It came into the posses- 
sion of France in 1820. A Greek peasant, of the 
Island of Milo, in digging the ground, found it bu- 
ried and broken in three fragments, in a recess seven 
or eight feet below the surface. The peasant in- 
formed the French Consul of his treasure, and 
offered to sell it for a small sum. The consul knew^ 
little about the fine arts, referred to the commander 
of the French government transport, Emulation, 
then at the island. He proposed to purchase the 
statue immediately and remove it to his vessel ; but 
this proceeding was too hasty for the consul, so he 
wa-ote a long letter to the Ambassador for Louis 
XVIII., at the Porte. This letter was lost on the 
way; but fortunately for France, M. De Xoville 
arrived at that moment in Milo ; he saw the statue, 
recognized at once the value of it, sent a special 
courier to the Ambassador, who dispatched Count 
De Marcellus to Milo with instructions to effect the 
purchase ; but all this had taken time, and when the 
Count arrived at Milo, the Venus had been shipped 
on board a Turkish brig, and was about to leave for 
Constantinople. He immediately applied to the 



France. 39 

proper authorities, who ordered the statue to be 
landed and sold at auction. This is what the Count 
desired, and having become the possessor of the 
treasure, sailed for France, and did not stop until he 
reached Paris. He had bought it in the name of 
the Ambassador, who transferred it to Louis XYIII., 
and the King presented the statue to the nation. 
Such is the history of the Venus of Milo. We also 
saw the window from which Louis XVI. harangued 
the populace with the cap of liberty on his head, and 
general Lafayette presented Louis Phillippe to the 
people in 1830; also the room where Robespierrre 
held his council and where he attempted to destroy 
himself on the 27th of July, 1794. We saw the 
spot where Robespierre was executed. The hotel 
where Voltaire died is shown to strangers; the 
house where Marat was assassinated by Charlotte 
Corday ; the spot where Marshal Ney was shot, and 
the tomb of Lafayette. The Zoological Garden is 
very fine; the Mineralogical and Geological Museum 
has a splendid collection of minerals and geological 
specimens. 



CHAPTER VI. 



I took a deep interest in all that was told me of 
Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette. 

Tradition says that Louis was told by an astrolo- 
ger that he would not die a natural death; that he 
M^as not horn like his predecessors. Not ^ member of 
the Royal family was at his birth; his mother was 
accidentally alone in the Palace of Versailles, and the 
heir of France, upon his entrance into life, was re- 
ceived by a stranger. The courier who was sent to 
announce his birth fell from his horse and was killed 
on the spot. The Priest who was called in to christen 
the infant was struck by apoplexy while entering the 
Chapel door, and his arm and tongue were paralyzed. 
From hundreds of healthy loomen^ the physician of 
his mother chose three nurses for the Prince. At 
the end of a week two of them were dead, and the 
third one, Madame Guillotine, after nursing him for 
six weeks, was carried off by small-pox. When he 
was crowned at Rheims, when the hand of the Arch- 
bishop was withdrawn from the Crotvn, the King 
thought of the prediction, and moaned and turned 
deadly pale, and murmured, "Oh! how it pains 
me." It seems like fate threatened this unhappy 
Monarch from his birth. When he Avas married to 



France. 41 

Marie Antoinette there was a terrible storm, and 
many lost their lives. 

An accident happened on his entrance into Paris, 
where several hundred people were killed; and when 
Marie Antoinette landed on French ground, a tent 
had been erected, according to custom, where she was 
to lay aside her clothing, to be attired in garments 
of French manufacture. The walls of the tent were 
hung with costly Gobelin tapestry, all of which rep- 
resented scenes of bloodshed. On one side was the 
massacre of the Innocents, on the other the scene of 
an execution. 

Marie Antoinette was horrified at the omen. That 
night two of the ladies in waiting, who had assisted 
the Queen in her toilet, died suddenly ; an ominous 
commencement of nuptial bonds, " to be cruelly sev- 
ered by the guillotine." 

We saw the Bastile and the Temple, which con- 
tained a large square Tower, Hanked with four tur- 
rets, built in 1222. In that Tower Louis XYI. and 
his family were imprisoned in 1792, and from there 
he was led to the scaffold. 

We saw the Arc de Triomphe, which was erected 
by Xapoleon in 1806, and wholly finished in 1836. 
On the marriage of I^apoleon with Marie Louise, 
and her triumphal entry into the capital, there was 
an immense model, in wood and canvas, of this arch, 
temporarily erected and brilliantly illuminated. 

The grave of Voltaire is shown to the Parisian 
visitor. Of course, every one knows who Voltaire 



42 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

is — the favorite friend and poet of Frederick the 
Great. History says Voltaire composed a poem, a 
master-piece^ which, according to custom, he ahvays 
read before the King; so the hour was set for him 
to recite the jjoera^ in the meantime the King having 
heard of a man with such a wonderful memory, that, 
after hearing anything read once, could repeat it word 
for word. So the King sent for this man and con- 
cealed him so he could overhear Voltaire recite his 
poem. When Voltaire finished the King said, " I 
have heard that before." Voltaire flew in a violent 
rage, and said, ^'Impossible, Your Majesty, for I have 
just composed it." The King told him he could 
prove what he said, and sent for this man, who re- 
cited the poem, word for word. Voltaire raised his 
hand to heaven, and said, "Great God! Have you 
no lightning to strike this man dead, who has robbed 
me of my poems?" It is said that Frederick the 
Great and. Voltaire were always quarrelling, but their 
quarrels always lowered them in public estimation. 
They admired each other, they stood in need of each 
other. The great King wished to be handed down 
to posterity by the great writer. The great ivriter 
felt himself exalted by the homage of the great King. 
Yet, the wounds which they had inflicted on each 
other were too deep to be effaced or even perfectly 
healed. Not only did the scars remain; the sore 
places often festered and bled afresh. He wrote let- 
ters to Frederick: "Remember how you have be- 
haved to me. For your sake I have lost the favor of 



France. 43 

my king. For your sake I am an exile from my 
country. I loved you, I trusted myself to you, I had 
no wish but to end my life in your service ; and 
what was my reward ? Stripped of all you had con- 
ferred on me, I was forced to fly from your teritories. 
I was hunted as if I had been a deserter from your 
grenadiers. I was arrested, insulted, i^lundered. You 
have great talents. You have good qualities, but 
you have one odious vice — you delight in the abase- 
ment of your fellow creatures. You have brought 
disgrace on the name of Philosopher. You have 
given some color to the slanders of the bigots, who 
say that no confidence can be placed in the justice 
or humanity of those who reject the Christian faith." 
Then the King answers with less heat, but with equal 
severity: "You know that you behaved shamefully 
in Prussia. It is well for you that you had to deal 
with a man so indulgent to the infirmities of genius 
as I am. You richly deserved to see the inside of a 
dungeon. Your talents are not more widely known 
than your faithlessness and your malevolence. The 
grave itself is no asylum for your spite. Let us have 
no more of this ; I can bear with your faults for the 
sake of your merits.'' After every outbreak of ill 
humor this extraordinary pair became more loving 
than before, and exchanged compliments and assur- 
ances of mutual regard with a wonderful air of sin- 
cerity. 

We saw the room in the Palace at Berlin that 
Frederick the Great had prepared for Voltaire ; it 



44 Becollections of cf Trip to Europe. 

was perfectly grand. He was fond of birds, and 
-every kind that could be mentioned was in this room; 
some stuffed, some carved and painted. The ceilings 
:and walls were beautifully carved, with fruits, flowers 
and birds; nothing more magnificent could be im- 
agined. In the year 1750, Voltaire left the great 
capital, which he was not to see again till after the 
lapse of nearly thirty years, when he returned, bowed 
down by extreme old age, to die in the midst of a 
splendid and ghastly triumph. His reception in 
Prussia was such as might well have elated a less 
vain and excitable mind. He wrote to his friends in 
Paris, that the kindness and attention with which he 
had been welcomed surpassed description; that the 
King was the most amiable of men: that Potsdam 
was the Paradise of philosophers. He was created 
Chamberlain, and received, together with his gold 
key, the cross of an order, and a patent insuring to 
him a pension of eight hundred pounds sterling a 
year for life. 

While in ])erlin, I was very much interested in 
Voltaire, and the friendship existing between him 
and Frederick the Great. His room in the Palace is 
magnificent; in it is a portrait of him, painted by 
Frederick the Great. We were told that Frederick 
was so despotic that he believed he could rule alone. 
Every thing emanated from the King, and every 
thing reverted to him again. He never accorded any 
share in the administration to an assembly of States, 
nor even to the State Council, which, composed of 



Germanij. 45 

the most enlightened men, would have been able to 
present to their Sovereign, in a clear and compre- 
hensive light, the bearings of the intricate questions 
connected with government. 

In walking through the Palace of Sans-Souci, and 
the magnificent garden, and standing by the old his- 
torical wind-mill, I thought of the lean little old 
man, of alert though slightly stooping "figure, whose 
name among strangers was King Frederick the Sec- 
ond, or Frederick the Great of Prussia, and at home 
among the common people, who much loved and es- 
teemed him, was Vaier Fritz — Father Fred — a name 
of familiarity which had not bred contempt in that 
instance. 

The most magnificent monument I saw in Berlin^ 
is to Frederick the Great; and pictures of Voltaire 
are every where in the Castle. We saw line old 
tapestry — State sledges, cabinets, caskets, portrait 
figures in wax, with the costumes of the originals^ 
hats, boots, swords worn by Frederick the Great's 
''father at the battle of Fehrhelliii.'' 

In an open piece of ground near the village of 
Tempelhoff, we saw the annual riianoiivres and re- 
views of the Berlin garrison, which have taken place 
there since the days of Frederick the Great. 

From Paris by rail to Strashurg (a strongly forti- 
fied town on the French frontier). The spire of 
Strasburg Cathedral is 112 feet higher than St. Paul's 
in London. It is considered a master piece of ar- 



46 Recollections of a Trip to Eurojje, 

chitecture, being built of hewn stone, cut Avith such 
precision as to give it at a distance a strong resem- 
blance to lace. There is a remarkable clock con- 
nected with this Cathedral ; it is a complete astro- 
nomical almanac, from which you can read the 
evolutions of the heavenly bodies. It is favorably 
situated for commerce, the Rhine connecting it with 
Switzerland, Holland and Belgium. After leaving 
Strasburg we took the train across the Rhine to a 
place called Kehl, a small toicn erected by the 
French in 1688, which has often been besieged. 

During the siege Strasburg in 1870, the town sus- 
tained serious damage. From Kehl to Frankfort, 
on the river Maine, where we visited many lovely 
gardens and went to many good concerts, visited the 
A t Institute, founded by a citizen of Frankfort, who 
bequeathed his pictures and engravings his houses, 
and 1,200,000 florins to the town, in order to found 
a school of art. The monument to Goethe, on the 
sides of which are figures from Goethes' poems, also 
a statue of Schiller in bronze. The Zoological Gar- 
dens contain many fine animals and birds. I saw 
several tall birds stalking around with one good leg 
and one wooden one; they looked quite comical. 
We had a nice time riding and walking, and met 
with several adventures. Some Grand Duke was 
expected, and his attendants, dressed in blue velvet 
<ioats and knee pants, were waiting at the depot to 
receive him. We were in Frankfort twice, once in 



Germany. 47 

1862, and again in '85. We expect to visit it again 
in 1889. We bad a grand dinner at the restaurant 
in the depot. The wedding ring of Martin Luther 
is shown in a watchmaker's window in Frankfort, it 
hears a representation of Christ upon the cross ; in 
the centre of the hoop is a small ruby, inside the 
ring is the inscription, Dr. Martin Luther, Catherine 
Bora, June 13, 1525. This interesting rebc has 
been preserved in a Frankfort family for the last 
hundred and iifty years. We saw over a gate the 
figure nine^ and were informed a man was con- 
demned to death for poaching, and was told if he 
could fire nine times and make the figure 9 in the 
sheet-iron over the gate his life should be spared; 
being a good marksman he consented, and the 9 
is over the gate to this day. 

We left Frankfort for Eisanach, situated at the 
finest point in the Th'uringian Forest. The grand 
Ducal Palace commands a pleasing view of the Wat- 
burg, which is 1,290 feet above sea level, founded by 
Louis the Springer in 1070, was occupied by the 
Landgraves of Thuringia down to the extinction of 
the family in 1247. We saw the room where Martin 
Luther, at the beginning of the 16th century, found- 
ed an asylum. Interesting reminiscences of the Re- 
former, who was intercepted on his return from 
Worms and conducted hither by his friend, the 
Elector Frederick the Wise, are still preserved in 
the castle. A room is shown containing Luther's 



48 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

table, drinking vessel, letters, portraits and other 
memorials, where the great Reformer zealously 
worked at his translation of the Bible from the 4th 
of May, 1521, to 6th of March, 1522. There is a 
spot of ink on the wall where he threw the ink-stand 
at the devil. There is also a room containing wea- 
pons and armour of the I2th and 17th centuries. 

Among the legends of the Wartburg is one that 
Duke Herman, of Thuringia, was one day holding a 
poetical contest in his castle of Watburg, in which 
six poets were contending for the prize. A discus- 
sion arose between them, which ended in an agree- 
ment that the one whose verses were the poorest 
should be hanged by the Duke's executioner. A 
learned astrologer and magician in the service of 
the King of Hungary, was agreed upon as the judge 
to decide this point. One of the poets was sent in 
search of him, and found him in Transylvania. The 
magician transported himself and the poet to Wcirt- 
bury in a single night by a charm; and when he had 
decided which of the six poems was the worst and 
its author had been hanged, he was asked by the 
Duke and other noblemen present if he had any news 
to communicate. "Last night," he replied^ "I saw 
a beautiful star arise in Hungary, its ray stretched 
from there to Marbourg, and from Marbourg that 
ray lit up the world; it means that a daughter is 
born to my master, the King of Hungary, who will 
become the wife of the son of your sovereign ; she 



Germany. 49 

will be named Elizabeth ; she will be a saint, and 
her holiness will be the joy and consolation of all 
Christendom." 

The astrologer spoke the truth — a daughter was 
born, and was christened Elizabeth, which means, in 
Hebrew^ "Full of the Grace of God." In due time 
the astrologer's prediction was still further fullilled 
by her marriage to the young Duke of Thuringia. 
Her charity was so great that her husband was com- 
pelled to check it. One day, meeting her coming 
out of the kitchen holding up her apron, filled with 
food for the poor, he asked angrily what she was car- 
rying. In her fright she answered they were roses, 
but she blushed so deeply as she told this pious false- 
hood that the Duke did not believe her. He pulled 
away her apron, and to her surprise the Duchess 
found that God had sav^ed her from the sin of lying by 
changing the food into roses. The Duke of Thur- 
ingia went on a crusade to the Holy Land, and he 
died soon after his return, when a Regent was ap- 
pointed to rule the country during the minority of 
his heir. This Regent w^as an avaricious and ambi- 
tious man ; deprived Elizabeth of her worldly pos- 
sessions; took away her children, and finally expelled 
her from the Ducal Palace. " Thus reduced, she 
begged her way from door to door," and after many 
trials and privations saved up enough of wiiat she 
received from charitable Christians to found a hos- 
pital at Marbourg, of which she became the head, 
where she died at the age of twenty-four. Her e^rave 



50 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

became the scene of so many miracles that Pope 
Grregory IX. canonized her. 

Even when they became Protestants, the peasants 
in the neighborhood of Marbourg did not lose their 
faith in St. Elizabeth^ and the sick, lame and blind 
continued to make pilgrimages to her tomb, in hopes 
of finding a relief from their ailments. 

The Wartbnrg is famous, as the scene of the Fest 
of the 18tli of October, 1817, an enthusiastic festi- 
val, celebrated by students from ever}^ part of Ger- 
many. 

From Eisenach we went to Liebenstein, a beauti- 
fully situated and pleasant watering place, possessing 
chalybeate and other springs. We took rooms at 3Iil- 
lefs Hotel, and all our friends from Miiehlhausen came 
to see us, and we made an excursion to different places 
of interest around Eisanach and Liebenstein. There 
was a grand ball one Sunday night at the hotel while 
we were there; there were present many grand la- 
dies and gentlemen from Berlin, Vienna, Dresden 
and Leipsic, who were spending the summer there; 
on6 beautiful lady, daughter of a great count, spoke 
English, and asked me many questions about Amer- 
ica, and was very much interested in the black people; 
she was beautifully dressed in pale pink silk, trimmed 
with white lace, and wore diamonds; another lady, 
a rich heiress from Berlin, wore lilac silk and pearls, 
she was a very graceful dancer. The ball room was 
ablaze with light; the band was concealed by flowers 
and plants; the pillars of the piazza were wreathed 



Germany. 61 

in flowers; fair ladies and gallant gentlemen prom- 
enaded in the open air; and old ladies sat under the 
trees playing cards, with their knitting lying beside 
them; here and there a couple of lovers could be 
seen wandering through the illuminated grounds with 
a chaperon at a little distance. Sometimes we would 
see a servant girl and her lover whispering under the 
trees. Truly, it was a fairy scene; every few min- 
utes the band would play a grand old air. 

As we passed from the beauty, flowers and light 
into the beautiful starlit night, we met a gentleman 
from ^N'ew ^^ork by the name of Brown, who said he 
was related to Ossawatimie Broimi, who was huns; at 
Harpers Ferry; he was very entertaining. The land- 
lord of the Hotel was a splendid performer on the 
Zither, and we had some fine music. Every day, at 
dinner, a band of Tyrolese warblers would sing until 
dinner was over. 

Each day we would go on some excursion to little 
villages around Liebenstein. On one occasion we 
saw a man on horseback driving a flock of geese, and 
at the word of command, they would file right and 
left, like soldiers. One goose had a lame leg, and 
the man got ofl' his horse, picked the goose up in his 
arms, and carried it home on the horse. 

We heard once some lovely strains of music, and 
could not see from whence it came ; seemed like we 
were standing on enchanted ground. The music 
seenied near us, but we could not find out where it 



52 RecoUections of a Trip to Europe. 

was, until we learned it was an ^Eolian harp in the 
mountains. It was very sweet. 

We went through a long cave hung with crystals. 
We sailed on a dark lake in the cave, in a boat, with 
torchlights. It was said the bottom had never been 
found. 

People rode on donkeys up the mountains, and 
every person we met would say " Guten Tag." 
We drank the waters of the Springs every day, which 
proved to be an awful dose. We gathered the lovely 
wild flowers on the mountains, which are equal to 
the cultivated flowers in our native land. I gathered 
several bouquets, and pressed them, brought them 
home with me, and have them yet, though twenty- 
five years have passed since then. 

We ascended a mountain, on top of which was a 
Chinese pagoda, hung around with china-bells, and 
when the wind blew the bells would almost play a 
tune. All visitors registered their names in this pa- 
goda, from which there was a fine view of the sur- 
rounding country and of the dark forest-clad moun- 
tains of Thuringia. 

We saw a ruined castle, which was deserted at the 
close of the 17th century, and has since fallen to de- 
cay. On the outskirts of the wood, near the ruin, is 
the monument to the Duchess, Ida^ of Saxe Weimar. 
A little way from the monument is a small open 
space, enclosed by rocks on three sides, which is 
called the Felsen Theatre. 



Germany. 53 

Liebenstein abounds in beautiful walks and drives. 
We passed many picturesque villas, charming retreats 
and rocky ravines. From Liebenstein we went to 
Magdeburg to visit friends. We had a grand time in 
the gardens and summer theatres. The children would 
peep at us and run away; they thought everybody 
was black in America, and wondered how we be- 
came white. I had lots of fun jumping at them, to 
see them run away. Every day at three o'clock they 
had coffee and cake, and they nearly killed me with 
kindness; I never ate as much cake in my life or 
drank as much coffee. They eat all the time; I 
never visited a house but what they were either 
cooking or eating or getting ready to cook. 

We went to many tine concerts, and were invited 
to a military ball. We took drives in the country, 
saw women and girls in the fields at work, with a 
complexion a city belle might envy, with nothing on 
their heads but a handkerchief Saw funny looking 
old men, in their little houses, mending shoes, and 
old ladies sitting at tlie windows knitting stockings. 
You can see them at the beer gardens, at the cafes, 
at places of amusement it was alwaj^s knit., knit, at 
that time. Twenty-five j'ears ago the German ladies 
held in high contempt any female unskilled in this par- 
ticular branch of industry. I saw, the last time I was 
there, in 1885, that knitting stockings was confined 
mostly to old ladies, and the young girls were mak- 
ing lace and all kinds of fancy work. The German 
wife takes her children and her basket, with their 



54 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

supper, out to a garden, where the husband joins 
them when his day's work is over. They then get 
coffee or beer, and eat their supper, have a dance or 
sit and hsten to the mnsic, while the children have a 
jolly time romping. The German takes his family 
whenever he goes to a place of amusement; they don't 
do like the average American husband — go himself, 
and leave his wife to worry with the children at 
home. After spending an evening in the garden 
they will all get together, and go home singing, and 
it sounds beautiful in the stillness of the night. 
What would be said in America if such things were 
done? I leave you to imagine. In the cities the 
gentlemen are so extremely polite that they lift their 
hats completely oft their heads, and a person having 
a numerous acquaintance must be a good customer 
to his hatter. Every night, in the families, before 
retiring, all shake hands with each other and with 
the stranger staying with them, and in the morning 
everyone wishes you a happy day ; it is also the same 
thing in the hotels and on board the German steamers. 
There is very little if any tobacco-chewing in Ger- 
many, but they are great smokers, and one of our 
young friends told us he smoked on an average of 
from twenty to twenty-five cigars daily. The bar- 
rooms at the depots and gardens (though I may not 
be a judge), looked to me like drug stores, and la- 
dies attend to them, and if any one calls for Cognac 
they take a small wine-glass and pour it over halt 
full and bring it to the table. 



CHAPTER VII 



In that portion of Germany we visited we never 
saw any cedar trees, except in nourishers, bnt the 
pine tree was very plentiful. 

We went to several line dairies, and saw a great 
many Holstein cows, black and white ; met a gentle- 
man who had lived in America thirty-five years, who 
told us a great deal about how much the Germans 
think of their cows, horses and other dumb creatures, 
and what nice houses they have for them to stay in ; 
spent several hours in a dairy: saw them milk the 
cows and send the milk to all parts of the town ; every- 
thing was as clean as a pin. I never saw as many 
pigeons in my life as were in the yards, and so many 
darling little puppies. 

Every Saturday I noticed large cakes about the 
size of the top of a hogshead sent to the bakers, 
they call it coffee cake, or Kuchen. Some of the 
families have gardens a short distance from town, 
and after dinner they go out and eat their supper 
under the trees ; and as twilight lasts so long, it is 
ver}^ pleasant. We also heard the cuckoo, and were 
in a garden called the Rose Grarden, where nothing 
but roses of every variety grew. We here met a 
singing society, whose members were having a grand 
time. One of them found out I was an American 



56 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

and could not speak German; seemed to be very 
sorry, and paid me several little attentions, consisting 
of bowing and smiling and handing me a chair, and 
even went so far as to present his card. Many 
laughable things occurred in this garden. Every- 
where I could see printed in the windows of the 
restaurant, "Delicatessen," "Delicatessen." So I 
enquired what " Delicatessen " was, and was told 
it was such delicacies as Limburger and Switzer 
Cheese, Bologna Sausage and Sour Kraut. 

The climate is not too warm, and the butchers 
keep their meat hanging in the windows, and it never 
spoils. I saw about a dozen flies the whole summer, 
no candle bugs, or any of the numerous bugs that 
swarm in this country in the summer. The people 
are very much afraid of draughts, and no one leaves 
home in the morning without a wrapping. It was 
really strange to see getlemen, in July and August, 
with heavy overcoats on their arm. White dresses 
were not ^/.-on^, except to parties and weddings; and 
I met an American bride who had many lovely white 
and other summer dresses, who said she never wore 
them except in the hotels and to receptions. The 
people do not sit at the doors as much as Ave do, and 
we passed many streets and never saw anyone at the 
door or window. 

We went to Hamburg on the Elbe, about 70 miles 
f r omits mouth. It consists of the old and new town, 
and covers a much larger space of ground than most 
other cities, in consequence of its numerous gardens. 



Germany. 57 

The large sheet of water called the Alster Basin, and 
the Moat, occupy a considerable space. After the 
great fire in 1842, which destroyed 61 streets and 
1,747 houses, was built the most magnificent part of 
this truly elegant city. The business portion is com- 
mercially grand. The grand promenade is on the 
wall before Danthor gate and Venor wall, the last of 
which new street is the Regent street of Hamburg; 
and the stores are as magnificent as any in London 
or Paris. The established religion is Lutheran, but 
all denominations are tolerated. A great many eTews 
reside in Hamburg, and of Sunda}^ afternoons they 
sit on the piazza of their houses and drink coffee, 
and knit or sew. Some of the churches in Ham- 
burg are very fine. The Church of St. Michael is 
beautiful ; the tower is very high, and from the top 
is a magnificent view. The St. Nicholas Church is 
a beautiful specimen of pure Gothic in stone and 
white brick. The Opera House is capable of holding 
4,000 persons. The Orphan Asylum is a very nice 
building. The Exchange is splendid, and in its height 
surpasses all others. To hear the incessant hum of so 
many voices, and to look over and down from the gal- 
lery above, one would imagine that it were a roaring- 
sea. This building, completed just before the big fire, 
escaped, while the surrounding houses were reduced 
to ashes. On the first floor is a reading-room, well 
supplied with newspapers. St. Peter's Church was 
burned down in 1842, and has since been erected in 
the Gothic style of the 14th century. The chief ob- 



58 Becollectiovs of a Trip to Europe. 

ject of interest is the ring on the door of the tower 
of 1342, and the canopy over the pulpit of the 14th 
century; the granite column of the old Cathedral,, 
taken down in 1806. The woods near the city are 
much frequented for pic-nics. The environs of Ham- 
burg are very beautiful, particularly on the right 
bank of the Elbe, from Altona to Blankense. Xear 
Altona is Ottensen, where is to be seen the tomb of 
Klopstock, and the monument erected to the memory 
of 1,138 Hamburgers who were starved to death by 
Davoust in the winter of 1813-14. 

Kear Hamburg is Booth's Flower Garden, one of 
the most beautiful in Germany. The promenades 
along the basin, which is over a mile long, are bounded 
on three sides by a quay, planted with trees and 
flanked with palatial hotels, and elegant private resi- 
dences. It is very grand, especially on a fine sum- 
mer evening, when the gas is lit and the pleasure 
boats are tilled with gay people. In the markets we 
saw many peasant women in picturesque costumes. 
We went to several picture galleries; saw some grand 
paintings; one representing Tilly in the Grave-Dig- 
ger's House the x^ight Before the Battle of Breiten- 
tield, 16th September, 1631; Oliver Cromwell by the 
Body of Charles I. ; Charles V.'s Triumphant Entry 
into Antwerp in 1521. 

Nothing certain is known of the origin of Ham- 
burg; but as early as 811, Charlemagne founded a 
castle here, to w^hich he soon added a church, pre- 
sided over by a bishop, whose mission was to propa- 



Germany. 59' 

£^ate Christianitv in these northern reirions. Ilam^ 
bnro; played a prominent part in the contest with the 
Danish Kings in the 13th and 14th centuries. The 
city was also honorably distinguished in the good 
work of sweeping the sea of ijirates. The discovery 
of America, and of the sea route to India, stimulated 
the trade of Hamburg, which, however, did not com-- 
pete with that of England and Holland. 

Hamburg remained unaffected by the thirty years^ 
war, chiefly owing to the powerful fortifl cations con- 
structed at the beginning of that struggle. 

Hamburg cannot boast of architectural monu- 
ments or scientific or other collections, commensurate 
with its wealth and antiquity. The history of the 
city, together with the enterprising character of its 
inhabitants, and the great fire of 1842, sufficiently 
account for the almost entire disappearance of all 
relics of the past, and for its thoroughly modern 
aspect. 

From Hamburg we took the steamier Borrussia 
down the Elhe^ past Heligoland or Holy Land, which 
formerly belonged to Schleswig, was taken by the' 
English in 1807, and still continues under their su-- 
premacy. During the blockade of 1812, it was a 
great resort for smugglers. On three sides of the 
island, which consists of hard red clay and marl,, 
rises nearly perpendicularly from the sea to a height 
of 200 feet, forming a long and narrow triangle 
called the Oberland. On the south-east side only a 
low, flat bank of sand rises from the water called 



60 RecoUectlons of a Trip to JEuroj^e. 

Unterland. The island contains about 2,000 inhabi- 
tants of Frisian extraction, whose dialect, habits and 
costumes are in many respects pecidiar. 

The bathing season and the lobster fishery are 
their chief sources of o^ain. The German lano^uai^e 
is used in the schools and churches; there is a bath 
house situated on the Unterland, a basin used by 
bathers when prevented by stormy weather from 
crossing to the Dtnie. The Conversationshaus, the 
chemist shop, the theatre, and most of the restau- 
rants are frequented by a large number of in- 
habitants, and are places of favorite resort by stran- 
gers. The principal streets run parallel to the cliiFs 
from north-east to south-west. At the end of the 
latter is the Rothe Meer, a bathing place so called 
from the colour with which the red clay tinges the 
waves. There is a flight of steps, 190 in number, 
ascends the rocks to a plateau planted chiefly with 
potatoes and intersected by the Kartojf'el Allee. The 
pastures support goats and a great many sheep. 
There are always boats for interesting excursions 
round the island; an illumination of the rocks and 
grottoes takes place several times during the season, 
on which occasions all the visitors hire boats in order 
to witness it to advantage ; many of the rocks have 
received fanciful names. The luminous appearance 
of the sea at night is more frequently observed at 
Heligoland than elsewhere, especiall}- in sultry 
weather with a south wind and clouded sky. When 
the water is struck by the hand, each particle resem- 



Germanij. 61 

bles a lire-fly or glow worm; this phenomenon, as is 
well known, is occasioned by innumerable mollusca, 
■almost invisible to the naked eye, which emit a 
phosphorescent light when in motion. 

Rain, collected in cisterns, is used for driiiking wa- 
ter; good spring water is obtained by paying a small 
sum weekly. 

German money alone is current in Heligoland* 
The trip from Hamburg to Heligoland is delightful. 
Soon after starting, the vessel commands a flne re- 
trospect of the imposing city, with its forests of 
masts, and of Altona; numerous villas on the hills 
peep from the midst of parks and pleasure grounds, 
which extend for a considerable distance below Blank- 
enese. Inlaiul to the left is the town of Stade., con- 
nected with the Elbe by a canal. There is also a 
Chateau^ a castellated building of the 14th century, 
which is visible from the Elbe, said to be one of the 
oldest structures in Germany. 

The steamer now passes the Island of Xeuwerk, 
with its lificht-house orig-inallv erected in 1290, as a 
castle for the protection against pirates. We saw 
going and coming, both trips, 1862-85, the Scylla 
Islands, which are very dangerous to the mariner. 
On our way we saw^ a -ship outlined against the sky. 
Our steamer hailed her, but received no reply ; she 
seemed to be scurrying over the waves like a thing 
of light; every once in a while a bell would toll 
across the water like the distant vesper-bell; all the 
passengers w^ere on deck, not a soul could be seen on 



62 Recollections of a Trij) to Europe. 

the strange ship; all of a sudden she disappeared 
from view, and the sailors, with frightened faces, 
pronounced it the Phantom Ship. 

We arrived at Southampton without anything par- 
cular occurring. We gathered shells on the sea- 
shore; there were a great many beautiful ones. I 
often think of those halcyon days; how happy we 
were wandering over the old-looking city, and watch- 
ing the white sails on the soft blue sea, and like chil- 
dren on a holiday, we found everything delicious, 
and we thought it grand to be lulled to sleep by the 
sobbing of the waves on the shore. 

We stayed in Southampton several days, visiting 
!N'etly Abbey, and other places of interest. High 
street is very line ; has a great many handsome stores. 
We left Southampton on the Steamer Hammonia, 
bound for New York. We had a great many pas- 
sengers; one man was killed by a box falling on him 
while loading the vessel: and on board was a gentle- 
man with his face disfigured by powder, who said he 
was on the same steamer when the powder magazine 
exploded many years before. 

On the steamer was a celebrated Italian artist, 
Liigi Monte, and wife, and a gentleman who had 
been to Carlsbad in search Of health, and was re- 
turning home to die. 

We had the IT. S. Consul and family, who were 
returning home from Switzerland, who told me many 
interesting anecdotes of their life in Zurich. And 
^ very pretty Irish girl c^m^ over with us, who 



G-ermany. 63 

seemed to be on some secret business. She came all 
the way to Baltimore with us, and I went with her 
to see several lawyers, and she always saw them in 
their private office, so I think she was hunting up 
the heirs to some great estate, or trying to free 
Ireland, as that was her whole conversation. 

"When Erin's a nation once more, 
How happy her children will be ; 
Ah ! then on her beautiful shore 

No heart-broken peasants we'll see." 



Our Second Trip to Germany, 



OUR SECOND TRIP TO GERMANY. 



CHAPTER I 



We left Baltimore on the 20tli of May, 1885, on 
the steamer Sailer, Capt. Wiegand, bound for Bre- 
men. A gay party of friends was present to see us 
off, who spent several hours most pkasantly on the 
steamer, before she sailed. We left about three 
o'clock in the afternoon. There were nineteen 
cabin passengers, and a great many in the steerage. 
The cargo was a very valuable one. The passengers 
seemed very agreeable, and we spent the time pleas- 
antly, enjoying the music, reading, writing and 
■games of all kinds, Going on deck in the morning 
to see the sun rise, the passengers were washed off 
the deck by the sailors cleaning up. We had break- 
fast at eight, lunch at ten, dinner at one, coffee and 
oakes at three, and supper at seven; so you will per- 
ceive we were most of the time eating. 

We had^a prima donna and her husband on board, 
who were on their bridal tour, going to visit the 
groom's relations in Germany; from there to Lon- 
don to sing in opera of the Professor's own compo- 
sition. They gave several concerts on board, which 
w^ere very much enjoyed. The bride was the lite of 



68 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

the steamer; full of fun. She and myself were the 
only Americans; neither of us understood German. 
All the others spoke English and German. 

After being several da^'s out we observed a French 
ship, with signals of distress hoisted. Our steamer 
was stopped and a boat got ready. The captain un- 
derstood the signal as wanting a surgeon ; so our 
young surgeon, who had just graduated, and blushed 
like a girl if you looked at him, made haste to get 
his surgical instruments, and started for the boat, 
but it was a mistake, and spoilt a romance^ for the 
passengers had made up many little stories about 
what had happened on the French ship. 

We had delightful weather; some days the sea was 
as smooth as glass. The passengers M^ere nearly all 
Germans, going to spend the summer in the Father- 
land. We landed on the 3d of June, at Bremer- 
haaven, the prosperous sea-port of Bremen, where we 
saw many vessels from all parts of the world. We 
left Bremerhaaven about live o'clock of the same day, 
and, after a pleasent ride through a beautiful coun- 
try, arrived at Bremen, about supper time. A party 
of six of us stopped at Hotel Russie, opposite the de- 
pot. We secured handsomely furnished rooms. 
Opposite our room was a lovely park. After supper 
we took a stroll through the city, visited a lovely 
garden and heard some tine music. The next day 
we took open carriages and drove to the Rothskeller, 
the cellar Avhich contains Rhine and Moselle wines, 
exclusively. 



Germany. 69 

The oldest casks are the Rose, dating from 1653, 
and the Twelve Apostles which is kept in another 
part of the cellar, and is shown to the curious. The 
Rose derives its name from a large rose painted on 
the ceiling, heneath which the magistrates are said, 
in ancient times, to have held their most important 
meetings. Bremen is one of the chief commercial 
cities of Korth Germany; it lies in a sandy plain on 
both banks of the Weser; the staple commodities 
are tobacco, petroleum, rice, grain, wool and cotton. 
The town is chiefly indebted for its importance to 
Bremerhaaven. Its seaport is entered yearly by 
upwards of three thousand sea-going vessels. It 
is one of the principal starting points of German 
emigrants to America, many thousands of whom 
quit their fatherland by this port every year. The 
promenades are the principal ornaments of the city^ 
There is a monument to the natives of Bremen, who 
fell in 1870-71. The bronze statue of Gustavus 
Adolphus, which was cast in Munich^ and destined 
for Gottenberg, but the vessel was wrecked, and the 
statue was rescued by boatmen of Heligoland, pur- 
chased by the merchants of Bremen and presented 
to their native city. 

The new part of the city is very handsome ; it is 
settled principally by retired sea captains and w^ealthy 
merchants. The Rathhaus, a Gothic building erected 
in 1405, is remakable for its richly decorated bow 
window and handsome gable. In front of the Rath- 
haus stands a large iigure of stone, eighteen feet 



70 Recollections of a Trip to Mirojye. 

high, erected in 1412 ; in his left hand, the giant 
hears a shield with the imperial eagle, and a naked 
sword in his right, with the head atid hand of a 
criminal at his feet. The Cathedral contains a pul- 
pit presented hy Queen Christina, of Sweden. In the 
cellar, where the lead was melted for the roof, are 
many mummies, the oldest four hundred j^ears old, in 
an undecayed condition. The vault still possesses 
the property of preventing decomposition y. as dried 
poultry has been suspended in it for years. The 
new post-office is a very line building. There is an art 
gallery containing pictures mostly modern, a few 
sculptures, and a good collection of drawings by old 
artists. 

The Roman Catholic Church is an old edifice, with 
a nave sixty feet in height, borne by eight slender 
columns. It contains some fine stained glass, ^ear 
the Promenade is the statue of Obers, a distinguished 
physician and astronomer, who died in 1840. There 
is also an asylum for aged seamen and their widows 
founded in 1525. There are beautiful parks where 
concerts are given every evening, and the people are 
happy and contented; I wish I could say more about 
this beautiful city, but I must hasten on. We spent 
several evenings at the Tivoli Theatre and gardens, 
the Professor and his bride, a young lady from Cin- 
cinnatti, and a gentleman from Texas, and oui-selves, 
took a private box; the play was Fatzinitza; the 
Prima Donna took the star's part in America, but 
she was anxious to see it performed in German ; 



Germany. 71 

she, as well as myself, enjoyed it very much, although 
we did not understand the language ; I had read, 
and she had performed it in our native land. Be- 
tween the acts the ladies, as well as gentlemen, go 
out in the garden, and a hell recalls them when they 
are ready for the next act* The gardens are lovely, 
flowers are hlooming everywhere. The windows 
are filled with trailing vines, and peace and content- 
ment prevail everywhere. The manager of the 
Tivoli Theatre wanted the Prima Donna to sing in 
his theatre, but as we parted from them in a few 
days, we never heard whether they came to a bar- 
gain, as she said she would not sing unless she re- 
ceived a hundred dollars a night, and had to be 
advertised a week ; she sang for us in the theatre 
during the days, so we could hear her voice to ad- 
vantage. All the people who were in the garden 
came in to hear her. On the sixth we parted from 
our steamer friends with regret, hoping to meet 
them at Bino^en, fair Bino;en on the Rhine. 



CHAPTEK 11. 



On the train for Hanover, we passed beautiful 
cottages embowered in vines, and saw women and 
men at work in the field ; stopped at many stations 
for refreshments. Ever^'thing seemed to be flourish- 
ing. The picturesque farm houses and quaint 
looking peasant? afforded a great deal of amuse- 
ment to some on the train. Here and there was a 
shepherd keeping watch over his flock with his 
crooked stick and dog. Hanover, the headquar- 
ters of the tenth Army Corps, is situated in a well 
cultivated plain on both banks of the Leine. The ir- 
regularly old l>uilt town still contains a number of 
antiquated houses of the 15th and 17th centuries. 
We stopped at the Hotel Royal, which is in every 
respect grand. We were shown to a parlor and 
chamber on the first floor, which was lit by wax 
lights; the halls-, dining rooms and offices were lit 
by gas; the floors were covered with Persian rugs, 
and the beds were in alcoves, concealed by heavy 
silk curtains. The beds were covered with silk 
spreads quilted in diamond. The dining-room was 
magnificent; the waiters stepped around in their 
broadcloth and felt slippers, looking like so many 
ministers; everything was in perfect order. The 
flower garden was filled with choice flowers, such as 



Germany. 73 

I never saw in America. To tell all I saw in Han- 
over would require too much time, so I will men- 
tion only the most important. Opposite the hotel is 
the equestrian statue of King Ernest Augustus, 
which is very imposing. The Tivoli garden, lit by 
40,000 lights, no pen can describe in its beauty and 
magnificence. Its beautiful grottoes and sylvan 
retreats ; its fountains and statues ; its restaurant 
where the hungry and thirsty can be supplied with 
everything they need. 

We had a seat on a balcony, where there were 
many choice flowers. In full view of the crowd be- 
neath, handsomely uniformed officers promenaded 
with ladies elegantly dressed, and the mirrors in the 
grottoes reflected the beautiful fountains and statues. 
It was a scene that would compare with those of fairy 
land. It was amusing to watch the private soldiers 
and officers saluting one ajiother, and the students 
with their fancy caps and scarred faces ; for the more 
scars a student has on his face the higher he holds 
his head. How often I wished some of our romantic 
Fredericksburg girls could see those students. 

When we left at ten o'clock, they were just light- 
ing the lamps, as twilight lasts a long time. 

Just imagine, a garden with 40,000 lights ! 

The Theatre is considered one of the flnest in 
Germany, with seats for sixteen hundred spectators. 
On the balcony are placed the statues of twelve poets 
and composers. The Museum of Arts and Sciences, 



74 BecoUeciions of a Trij) to Eunype. 

completed in 1856; in the niches are statues of Hum- 
boldt and other distinguished men. 

The Palace, an edifice of considerable extent, was 
built in the 17th century, and altered in 1817. The 
interior has been fitted up anew, and is at present oc- 
cupied by Prince Albert of Prussia. Opposite the 
Palace is the residence of King Ernest Augustus. 
At the back of the Palace flows the river Leine, be- 
yond which extends the spacious drilling ground of 
the military. The Waterloo column, 154 feet in 
height, was erected by the grateful Fatherland to 
about eight hundred Hanoverians, who fell at the 
battle of AVaterloo. Also, the monument to Count 
Alten, who died in 1840, the Hanoverian General at 
Waterloo, and Commander of the Foreign Legion in 
Spain. AVe visited the Riding Institute, for train- 
ing, riding and fencing masters for the army. 

On Sunday, we w^ent with some friends to Her- 
renhausen, the favorite residence of George XL The 
garden is laid out in the French style. One large 
green-house is devoted to plants from Australia and 
Cape Colony. The statue of Electress Sophia stands 
on the spot where she expired in 1714. The waters 
of the great fountains rise to the unusual height of 
222 feet; it was very grand. We took dinner in the 
garden ; we had some very large strawberries for des- 
sert, and a drink called Erdbeerbowl, which is straw_ 
berries, with wine poured over them and set on ice; 
all seemed to like it very much. Whilst in Hano_ 



Germany. 75 

ver, we went through a beautiful wood, called Eilen- 
riede, the gift of a wealthy lady to the city ; there 
were beautiful walks and drives, and a fine restau- 
rant is in the most fashionable quarter of the town. 
We took a walk with our friends through another 
beautiful wood, and went to our hotel on the street 
cars, which start from this point to all quarters of the 
city. Herschel, the astronomer, was born in Hano- 
ver; he was formerly a musician in the regular army. 
I must not forget the lovely horses belonging to the 
Duke of Cumberland. We went all through the 
stables, in which we saw the carriages and harness 
used by the nobility for hundreds of years back. An 
old lady went around with us, and explained every- 
thing. The Zoological Gardens are very fine; some 
magnificent lions, tigers, and other animals. We 
spent many pleasant hours Avatching the gambols of 
the young lions, and listening to entrancing music 
from a brass band stationed near by. The Deer 
Park, which contains tame deer, is mucli visited ; 
refreshments are to be had at the Forester's Cottas^e. 
The old Town Hall is perhaps the most remarkable 
building in the city. There is a church which con- 
tains relics brought from Italy many hundred years 
ago. The modern part of Hanover, near the rail- 
way station, is very beautiful, and the depot covered 
with glass is very grand. We took a through ticket 
from Hanover to Miiehlhausen in Thuringia, but 
were delayed several hours in Gottingen, so we took 
a carriage and drove around the town, which is fa* 



76 Becollections of a Trq) to Europe. 

mous for its university of 1,000 students, founded in 
1737, by George II. On the ramparts close to the 
Leine, is a one-story house bearing the name of Prince 
Bismarck, 1832-33. Xear the station are the War 
Monument and Post Ottice. The town is encircled 
with ramparts, planted with lime trees, affording a 
pleasant walk. We had a lovely drive through a 
beautiful country. We then took the train for Miiehl- 
hausen, the birth-place of my husband, where we ar- 
rived about twilight. Again he is a child in his old 
village home, where he first saw the light of the day. 
When we were nearing his home he pointed out 
to me so many places he visited when a boy, and 
when we arrived at the depot, he looked out to see 
if he could see one familiar face, but none were 
there. By the time we got to the hotel, I knew all 
about Mliehlhausen. We stopped at the Englisher 
Hoff, kept by a widow lady, who had two pretty 
daughters, with golden hair, both of whom spoke 
English. After supper we called on our friends, and 
took them by surprise—.-" What a meeting, what re- 
joicing! " 



CHAPTER III 



Miiehlhausen is a quaint old town of 25,000 or more 
inhabitants, with a stream of water running through 
the streets, which the people use for scrubbing and 
other household uses. This stream of water runs 
from a spring called Popperoda, and runs thirteen or 
more mills and factories, mostly woolen ; we visited 
man}' nice gardens, saw many quaint looking houses^ 
and met many interesting people. We were invited 
to take coffee in a private garden belonging to a re- 
tired banker, which invitation we accepted, and drank 
coffee from cups three hundred years old. 

We spent an afternoon at a fashionable resort 
called the White House; Ave met many beautiful la- 
dies and gallant gentlemen, and walked through a 
wood which was once a Russian cemetery. On our 
way back we stopped at the Popperoda Spring, 
where the children were making bouquets and throw- 
ing them in the water. It is said to be an old time 
custom for the children to gather together all the 
flowers and cast them in the spring as an offering to 
the Lord for the use of the water. It was a beauti- 
ful sight, the children all dressed in white, standing 
around the spring, looked like so many fairies. 

Miiehlhausen was once surrounded by a moat, but of 
late years the moat is being tilled, and beautiful pro- 



78 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

menades made instead. The city derives its name 
from the mills, of which there are a great niimher, 
and there are also a great many glue factories. The 
country people come in town with funny little wa- 
gons filled with different colored yarns, which are 
sometimes pulled by dogs. The dog works in Ger- 
many, and seems to he delighted that he can help his 
master, who always has a piece of carpet or blanket 
to spread on the sidewalk for him to rest on, as it is 
against the law in Germany lor a dog to lie on the 
cold pavement. Happy dog. In some portions of 
Germany the milch-cows draw light loads, and we 
often saw them in the fields standing knee-deep in 
the hay waiting for the wagon to be loaded. 

While we were in Mliehlhausen we went with a party 
of gay young friends to a little town called Gottern; 
we traveled in a carriage over a lovely road, lined on 
each side with fruit trees; we took dinner at the Ea- 
gle Hotel, and met with many friends, some of whom 
spoke English; we took a stroll to see the town, and 
came back well pleased. A company of militia, who 
had served their time, were marching past with a 
band of music; they had been to bury one of their 
number ; they were dressed in black uniforms, with 
high hats. After supper we drove home, the girls 
all singing their merry songs. A few days after, we re- 
ceived an invitation to attend a flag presentation at 
the Theatre; we obtained a splendid seat in the gal- 
lery; the flag was presented to the Turner Society; 
the Theatre was beautifully dressed with flowers and 



Germany. 79 

evergreens, and a band of music, invisible to the au- 
dience, discoursed sweet music. When the curtain 
rolled up, a tall lady, becomingly attired, in Moire 
satin, with a long train, the body and sleeves trim- 
med with costly white lace, came forward and made 
.a speech, which was received Avith cheers. She then 
presented the flag, which was received with more 
cheers and speeches ; the band played the Star Span- 
gled Banner; then three cheers were given for Kaiser 
William, and the curtain fell. In a few minutes it 
went up again, and sixteen young ladies in lohite, with 
crimson sashes, and slippers to correspond, with 
crowns of flowers and garlands, danced the Italian 
flower dance, which was lovely ; afterwards there was 
•more music, speech-making and cheers; then they 
all repaired to the ball-room, which was like a dream 
of enchantment. Music floated out upon the sum- 
mer air in sweet, wild strains ; the echo of merry 
laughter mingled with the fall of the dancers' feet; 
the light fell from frosted chandeliers that seemed 
the work of some magician; garlands of beautiful 
flowers trailed from windows and pillars ; birds ca- 
roled in gilded cages, swinging in bowers of roses 
and the blue " Forget-me-^ots." Music, mirth and 
beauty winged the happy hours to unconscious flight. 
Gayly dressed ladies, when not dancing, promenaded 
up and down the spacious rooms, or out in the beau- 
tiful starlit night. We spent a delightful evening, 
^nd were sorry when it was over. We spent three 
weeks in Mtiehlhausen, when we left for Berlin, by 



80 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

Gotha, Erfurt and Wiemar, three beautiful cities. 
Gotha is the second residence of the Duke of Saxe 
Coburg. Gotha is one of the busiest mercantile 
places in Thuringia, containing several banks, the 
Ducal Palace and stables; Obelisk to the memory of 
the natives of the Duchy who fell in 1870-71 ; the 
park, with a pond; on an island is an old Ducal 
burying place, there is a line museum and a Masonic 
Temple, and several old palaces. 

Erfurt is an ancient old town on the Gera, with a 
garrison of 3,500 soldiers. There was situated here 
formerly a Fortress, but the works are now being re- 
moved. This quaint old • town possesses several 
handsome Gothic churches and private dwelling- 
houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 

There is an old Inn where Gustavus Adolphus, 
Martin Luther and Maurice of Saxony are said to 
have been entertained. The Augustine Monastery, 
now an orphan asylum, contains the cell of Luther. 
Weimar, the capital of the Grand Duchy, of Saxe 
Weimar, is an irregularly built town with modern 
suburbs, pleasantly situated on the Ilm. There 
are many elegant monuments, the G(Pthe-Schiller, 
monument is of bronze, erected in 1857. There is 
an equestrian statue of Charles Augustus, which 
was unveiled in 1875. It represents the Grand 
Duke, in the uniform of his time, crowned with a 
wreath of laurels. We took refreshments at the 
station, and passing through a beautiful country and 
by lovely cottages embowered in vines and magni- 



Germany. 81 

ficent villas on \\\q^\\ hills, stopping every twenty 
minutes or half hour at different stations, we arrived 
in Berlin, the capital of Prnssia,^ at twilight. Such 
a bustle and confusion; it reminded me of Kew 
York. We took a carriage and drove to Topfers 
Hotel, on Carl street. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Berlin is 110 feet above the sea level; is the resi- 
dence of the Emperor of Germany; has 1,200,000 
inhabitants, including the garrison of 25,000 sol- 
diers. It is situated on a sandy plain, on the river 
Spree (consequently Berlin is always on a sjyree). 
The staple commodities of its trade are cattle, grain, 
spirits and wool. The principal branches of indus- 
try are engine building, chemicals, brewing, dyeing, 
woolen and silk goods and fancy articles ; it is as 
gay if not more so than Paris. The people live in 
one continual round of pleasure. We were always 
sight seeing; and having friends residing in Berlin, 
one of whom spoke English, made it very pleasent 
for me, as he went everywhere with us and explained 
everything. We went to Charlottenberg and saw 
the tomb of Emperor William's father and mother, 
Frederick William III. and Queen Louise, who died 
in 1810; her husband died in 1840. The tomb is 
magnificent, the ceiling of stained glass throws a 
beautiful shade over the recumbent figures of the 
illustrious pair ; at the sides are beautiful candelabra; 
the heart of Frederick William IV. is placed at the 
feet of his mother in a marble casket. The anniver- 
sary of the death of the Queen, 1 9th of July, and of the 
King, 7th of June, are observed by a private service 



Germany. 83 

in the mausoleum for the members of the royal 
family. We went through the Royal Palace; met 
the Prince of Meinigen in the hall ; had a polite 
bow from him, and was told who he was by a chim- 
ney sweep; he is the Crown Prince's son-in-law, and 
lives in the palace, portions of which are shown to 
strangers. The dining room is superb and very 
large. In the centre is a beautiful rug, embroidered 
by the ladies of Silesia. The grounds are beauti- 
fully laid out; several of the Prince's children were 
playing around the palace. We also visited Pots- 
dam, which is situated on an island in the Harel. 
Frederick the Great resided at Potsdam, in whose 
reign the palace of San Souci, the new palace, and 
a number of private residences were built, and the 
grounds greatly extended. We saw the lime tree 
protected by a metal eovermg, where petitioners used 
to station themselves to attract the attention of 
Frederick the Great. In the garden are bronze 
busts of Blucher, Zork and twelve other celebrated 
men. Frederick's room, adorned with pictures, has 
been preserved in its original condition. His ink 
stand, writing table, music stand, travelling cup, are 
all shown to strangers. Adjoining the library, ivhieh 
is separated from the bed room by a massive silver 
balustrade onli/, is a cabinet with double doors, by 
which the dining table could be let down by 
means of a trap door, and where the king occasion- 
ally dined with his friends without risk of I>eing 
overheard bv his attendants. 



84 Recollections of a Trip to Europe, 

The apartments of Frederick William III., and 
Queen Louise, also remain unaltered. Under the pulpit 
of the Garrison Church rest the remains of Frederick 
the Great and his father, Frederick William I., the 
founder of the church. The tower contains musical 
bells, which play every half hour. We saw the 
great fountain, the water of which rises to the 
height of 112 feet, and several others near it. A 
broad flight of steps lead up to the palace. I under- 
took to count them, but was so exhausted when I 
arrived at the top, I forgot how many there were. 
Frederick the Great's greyhounds and chargers are 
buried at the end of the highest terrace. This was 
once a favorite resort of the King. The palace of 
San Souci is a building of one story, built by 
Frederick the Great, and his almost constant resi- 
dence. FrederickWilliamlV. died herein 1861. The 
main interest of the palace consists of the numerous 
reminiscenses of the illustrious founder. We saw 
the clock which he was in the habit of winding. It 
had stopped at the precise moment of his death, 
2:30 P. M., 17th August, 1786. The room he had 
fixed for Voltaire remains unaltered ; it is beauti- 
fully carved in fruits and flowers. Through the 
orangery we went to the old windmill, which the 
owner refused to sell to Frederick the Great, which 
is now royal property. It is very large and entirely 
overgrown with ivy. I brought some to America 
w4th me. From the upper terrace is a magniflcent 
view of the palaces and the surrounding country 



Germany. 85 

and the river Havel. We visited the new palace 
founded by Frederick the Great. Some of the rooms 
are shown to strangers, the other portion is occupied 
by the Crown Prince as a summer residence. The 
Grottoe Saloon is inlaid with shells, minerals and 
prcious stones, and lighted by innumerable chan- 
deliers. The minerals and precious stones came 
from all parts of the world. The theatre has seats 
for six hundred persons; there is also a grand ball- 
and concert-room, and a handsome marble saloon 
100 feet long. In going through these palaces visi- 
tors are requested to slip felt slippers over their 
shoes, and piles of them are at the door of every suite 
of apartments. Potsdam was hung in mourning for 
Prince Frederick Karl, who had died a short time 
before. We took dinner at the Wild Park restau- 
rant, and after dinner were just going to take the 
boat on the Havel to go to Babelsburg, when an 
open carriage drove by containing the Crown Prince 
and suite ; we stopped and our party bowed. The 
Crown Prince raised his cap, bowed and smiled. 
We then took the boat, but being late we did not 
go as far as Babelsburg, but saw it in the distance. 
On the banks of the river we went through several 
castles, and went up on the roof and sat upon a 
bench that the Empress of Russia and Queen Louise 
lused to sit on to take the air. We saw bonnets and 
hats belonging to the Emperor and Empress of Rus- 
:sia. The room of Queen Louise remains as it was, 
€ven her sewins^ basket with the needle in the em- 



86 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

broidery is just as she left it. It is said Emperor 
William adores the memory of his beautiful mother 
who died young. We also saw in the distance 
Glienecke, with a chateau of Prince Frederick Karl 
with a large park; also a Greek chapel, founded in 
1826, by Frederick William III., for the accomodation 
of the Russian singers, who were at that time at- 
tached to the 1st Regiment of Guards; also a marble 
palace occupied by Prince William. 

We returned to Berlin b}^ rail after spending a de- 
lightful day. We were taking the street car for the 
hotel, when Prince William and his family passed in 
an open carriage. Berlin is a grand city; we rode 
in horse-cars made in Xew York, and the Berliners 
smoke Richmond, Va., cigarettes. We went to the 
Belle Alliance Theatre and gardens, which is very 
grand, with lakes of water, with lilies floating on 
the surface, the heart of every flower contained a 
light of some sort; fuchsias, dahlias, tulips, in fact, 
every flower that could be mentioned held a light; 
grape vines, with bunches of grapes embowering the 
grottoes, were filled with electric lights. I thought 
I had suddenly been transported to Fairyland ; the 
open air theatre was very fine ; there were three chil- 
dren from California, two girls and a boy, who sang, 
in English, "Jingling Bells," then a German song, 
then again, in English, "My Home Over the Sea;" 
there were many Americans, who encored them sev- 
eral times; the children were beautifully dressed; 
the music was grand, W§ vidted. many beautifu] 



Germany. 87 

gardens and theatres, but the grandest was the King's 
Opera House, which we visited with some friends. 
The ladies all go in full evening dress, without hats 
or bonnets; we saw many lovely American and Eng- 
lish ladies, richly dressed; the play w^as the " Trum- 
peter of Sickengen," taken from incidents that took 
place at the Castle of Heidelberg after the thirty, 
years' war. It was the grandest piece I ever saw; 
the music was very sweet; the stage costumes were 
very elegant; the Royal boxes were filled with Court 
ladies and gentemen, in full evening dress. Between 
the acts the ladies as well as gentlemen go out for 
refreshments. There is an elegant ice cream saloon 
under the Opera House. We went to another The- 
atre, where a play, called ''The Wild Cat," had been 
running over a hundred nights to very large au- 
diences. It was some kind of a Mexican play. The 
night we went it was raining, and the audience, be- 
tween the acts, promenaded in A yard covered with 
glass. To tell of the many lovely gardens and parks 
we visited, would require too much time. We were 
always on the go, from one delightful place to ano- 
ther. We took several meals in Emperor William's 
tent. Here are a number of restaurants, built by 
Frederick the Great, and everybody stops on their 
way to and fro to the "Their Garden." We went 
through Emperor William's stables, saw 110 of his 
riding and other horses; saw the horse that was 
hitched to the chariot when the Emperor of Eussia 
was blown up by the explosion of the shell. The 



88 RecollecUons of a Trip to Euro])e. 

horse, a powerful black, was wounded on the back; 
he was [wesented, with several others, to the Emperor 
by the present Emperor of Russia. We went through 
the Emperor's Palace, even in his private I'ooms. 
Tlie}^ are magnificently furnished, but in the Empe- 
ror's room, where he writes and spends most of his 
time, we had to pick our way over and through the 
•costly bric-a-brac and Dresden vases. In one room is 
^ grand piano, presented by the citizens of Breslau 
on his silver w^edding-day. In one corner is a statue 
of the Crown Prince, in solid silver. Beautiful pic- 
tures are everywhere. The Emperor's bed-room is 
very simply furnished. Over the bed hangs the pic- 
ture of his mother, Queen Louise. We also went 
through the apartments of the Empress. In the 
Emperor's private room the blue corn flower was in 
vases everywhere. It is his favorite flower; it is said 
that Queen Louise, when she was fleeing with her 
children from Na^^oleon, took refuge in a peas- 
ant's cottage, and Emperor William being then a 
boy, would go out and gather the flowers and put 
them in his mother's hair. It is also said, if a per- 
son wishes to gain favor with the Emperor he must 
praise his beautiful mother, who died of a broken 
heart. A little boy from IN'ew York gave the Em- 
peror a bouquet of corn flowers, with a card attached, 
with the words, "greetings from America;" he was 
very much afl'ected, and sent for the mother of the 
child, and asked her a great many questions about 
her familv, and about the American people in gen- 



Germany. 81) 

eral. She said she felt very much embarrassed at 
first, but he was so pleasant that she felt at ease in a 
few minutes and conversed with him in both German 
and English. When the Emperor is in Berlin a flag 
is hoisted over the Palace, then no visitors are ad- 
mitted. 



CHAPTER V. 



The Crown Prince's Palace is very line. Soldiers 
are always on guard at the diiferent palaces. We 
saw the Palace of Prince Frederick Karl. Before it 
is an open space, where he had loads of sand placed 
so the children could play in it while he would sit at 
the window and watch them. As we passed we could 
see a great many children with their little shovels 
building houses in the sand. The Royal guard- 
house was constructed in 1818; it is in the form of a 
Roman fortified gate; adjoining it are three large 
cannon, one of which was captured at Fort Mont 
Valerian, at Paris, in 1871. We went every day to- 
see the soldiers drill. The Arsenal contains many 
spoils of war, the keys of several captured fortresses^ 
Most of the flags w^ere brought from Paris in 1814. 
There is a glass-covered court, around which are 
ranged groups of French cannon, overhung by 
French flags, captured in the war of 1870-71. 

While in Berlin we attended a wedding in a church 
of a couple in the lower ranks of life. The bride- 
was dressed in purple cashmere, with a wreath of 
orange blossoms and a white veil. She came in bow- 
ing and smiling right and left to her friends. The- 
couple took seats in chairs placed for them before 
the minister, who stood up dressed in a long white 



Germany. 91 

gown; he took tibowt a half-hour to" I'ecite the ser- 
vice. After the ceremony they went into a room with' 
the minister to sig^n their naimes, and' when they came 
out they left in fine style,- they and their friends fill- 
ing several carriages. The groonl raised his hat, and 
the crowd on the pavement cheered. I waived my 
handkerchief, and wag rewarded by a smile and bow 
from the happy couple. 

We then visited the Nation ftl Ga;llery, which con- 
tains many handsome paintings and drawings and 
sculptures. One of the pictures, which riveted our 
attention, was the Meeting of the Em^peror and Crown 
Prince on the Battle Field of Koniggratz, life size,, 
mounted on beautiful horses. The Emperor is clasp- 
ing the Crown Prince's hand^ and on his face is a 
look which seems to say, " My soil,- how goes the 
day?" Behind him, and by his side, ride Bismarck 
and Von Molkte, and in the distance is seen the 
smoke of battle. Other handsome paintings which 
attracted attention, was the Crown Pt^ihce Entering 
Jerusalem, and I^apol eon's Retreat from Moscow. 
The rooms on the right of the ante'rooni contain the~ 
choice picture gallery of Count BacyzHskie, which 
has been loaned the government for public exhibi- 
tion. It contains many valuable paintings by old 
artists. The Hohenzollern Museum consists of 
personal reminiscenses of the Prussian ruler, from 
the time .of the great Elector down to the present 
i\'t\y. The two rooms first visited are devoted to Em- 
peror Williiim and Empress Augusta, In these^" 



*92 Becollections of a Trip to Europe. 

rooms we saw the table at which Napoleon III. signed 
the declaration of war at St. Cloud, in 1870. Queen 
Louise's room contains many paintings; one, the pic- 
ture of the peasant family who befriended her in her 
trouble; it hangs in a conspicuous place; in this 
room is also the cradle of Emperor William. The room 
of Frederick William II. contains portraits of that 
monarch's generals, and Napoleon's knife and fork, 
and his orders, captured at Waterloo; also, orders 
worn by Blucher; also, a handsome cabinet, made of 
Neuwied. The three rooms assigned to Frederick the 
Oreat are the most interesting in the Palace; wax 
models of Frederick's face after death; his clothes, 
from childhood to death; and his horse Conde, in his 
state trappings. The room of Queen Sophia Doro- 
thea, mother of Frederick the Great, contains inter- 
esting furniture. We passed through rooms contain- 
taining the table service of the ditferent Kings. It 
is impossible to enumerate the many wonderful things 
to be seen in this palace. 

The new Museum Avas built after the plan of the 
architect Shinkel. Before the Museum stands a gi- 
gantic basin, cut out of a solid piece of granite 22 
feet in diameter. It is said the basin was presented 
by the Emperor of Russia, and a Professor was over- 
heard by the Emperor to say he doubted it being of 
one piece. The Emperor drew his pistol and shot 
him dead. " The basin stands on the spot. where he 
fell." The Emperor of Russia got his just deserts 
when he was blown up by the explosion of the shell. 



Germany. 93^ 

There was an old woman kept a fruit stand near 
one of the Palaces; we often bought fruit of her^ 
until we heard that when she was quite young she 
held the light while her sister murdered their mother. 
She served a term of years in the penitentiary, while 
her sister was broke on the wheel. I saw in the Mu- 
seum the wheel, also the spot where she was killed. 
After this woman who kept the fruit stand came out 
of prison, she had no money or friends, so she sold 
her body to the city of Berlin, to be embalmed and 
put in the Museum after her death. She then opened 
a fruit stand and seemed to be doing a good business^ 
but I never went by her without a shudder. Since 
my return I have heard she died, and her body is in 
the Museum. The Panoptican, or Gallery of Wax 
Figures, is very line. As we went up the steps, in a 
large hall, I was struck by seeing Prince Bismarck 
standing at the head of a long table, as if making a 
speech, while men were writing and some listenings 
and Count Herbert Bismarck stood at the foot of the 
table paying particular attention to what his father 
was saying. They looked so natural that I really 
could not believe them wax. As I did not know 
what the Panoptican meant, 1 thought I was in some 
kind of a Congress Hall, but I soon saw my mistake, 
and went from room to room admiring the figures, 
all as natural as life. There stands Gartield and 
Washington, side by side. In the murderer's hall, 
among instruments of torture of olden times, stands- 
Guiteau, the murderer of Garfield. In one room was. 



'94 Becollections of a Trip to Europe, 

;a mountain of cake, where the persons who wished 
to enter the Gourmand country, must first eat through 
this mountain. Two men had eaten through, and 
were having a happy time drinking port wine, which 
flowed from a large pump, and eating wild ducks, 
which were ready cooked flying in the air; where 
pickles hung on trees; and sausages, oj^sters, rye 
bread, sour krout and Limb,urger cheese, and every 
.delicacy, were to be found in this land. One man 
had eaten enough to get his head thro.ugh, and in the 
distance more could be seen tr^^ing to reach this de- 
lightful land. In another room, some old maids? 
looking like they might be a hundred, were going in 
;a bath to come out young. It was very amusing. 
In one room we passed through, I .observed a gen- 
tleman sitting at a table, with his hat on the floor and 
a dog sitting by his side. On the table beside him 
was a glass of wine and a glass of beer. I thought 
he was a visitor, and was refreshing himself; so, in 
passing through again, he still sat there, and nothing 
was missing from his glass, and I knew then he was 
wax. In passing up stairs, I observved a lady in walk- 
ing costume looking over the balustrade in the hall 
below. She stood there so long I began to wonder 
what she was looking at so attentively. Every once 
in a while she would turn and look aboiut the hall, 
then lean over the balustrade again ; so curiosity 
.overcame me ; I went up and looked in her face, and 
was fooled again ; she., too, was wax. For the bene- 
fit of the children., I will say I .saw ;two little chil- 



Germawi. 95 

dreii, lost in the forest, who were very liun^ry, and 
they came across a house buih of ginger cakes, and 
the chimneys and windows were made of peppermint 
•candy, so they stopped, and being very hungry they 
<}ommenced eating pieces of cake oif the house, when 
an old woman came out, with a big wart on her nose, 
and made them scamper. 

We saw the death-warrant of. Mary, Queen of 
J^cots^ and of the Earl of Essex, and the wax figure 
of Charlotte Corday, in her prison cell ; ( )liver Crom- 
w^ell at the cofSn of Charles L; Queen Elizabeth at 
the death-bed of the Countess of Nottingham. She 
stands with her right hand raised to Heaven as she 
•says, "God may forgive you, I never will." Gen- 
eral Gordon is in the window, and (Jueen Louise 
holding Emperor William (then two years old) in 
arms. I think Qneen Louise the most beautiful wo- 
man I ever saw. All over the building are wax 
figures of her, taken at diiterent times. The Panop- 
tican contains the wax figures of many eminent per- 
sons. There stands Yoltaire, Pauline Lucca, Hum- 
boldt, Frederick the Great, N'apoleon I., Napoleon 
HI., Prince Louis Napoleon, Alexander H. of Russia, 
several Russian generals, all the royal family, the 
Prince of Wales, all the celebrated musicians and 
poets, Marie Antoinette; the hands, in wax, of the 
Crown Princess, Queen Victoria, General Field Mar- 
shal Moltke and Wrangel, Queen Charlotte of En- 
. gland, and the Russian Trumpeters. We saw the 
figure of the man who was the inventor of the infer- 



96 Bccollections of a Trip to Europe. 

nal machine, and was engaged in the catastrophe in 
Bremen-Haven, 11th of December, 1875; he was a 
fine looking man, and an American. 

We drove through many beautiful parks; one 
called the Thiergarten, covers upwards of six hun- 
dred acres of ground. It is enlivened by several 
sheets of water, and combines the character of a na- 
tural forest, with .the trimmer beauties of a public 
park. In this park we met the Emperor's carriage, 
driver and footman, and the ladies of the Chinese 
Embassy driving^^out; they wore no bonnets or hats, 
but had their hair dressed wdth ilowers and jewels. 
In this park the Crown Princess had a private play- 
ground made for poor children. It is said the Crown 
Prince and Princess are very much beloved by the 
people, and as they were walking in the Park with 
their children they heard some one breaking sticks, 
and found an old woman gathering fuel. The Crown 
Prince asked her if she did not know it was against 
the law to gather fuel in the park ? She told him she 
knew it was, but being poor she thought it no harm 
to gather a few sticks. The Crown Prince and Prin- 
cess gave her some money and the children helped 
to fill the old woman's basket, when she went on her 
way blessing them. The Crown Prince is very popu- 
lar with his soldiers; he romps and plays like a boy 
with the private soldiers, and often hands his cigar 
case around. The finest statue in the Thiergarten is 
the marble monument to Frederick William III., ex- 
ecuted in 1849. It is covered in winter: also, one to 



Germany. 97 

Queen Louise, in 1880, which is grand; and a mon- 
ument to Goethe; there is also a magnificent group 
of hons. The Zoological Garden contains the finest 
collection of animals in the world ; the grounds are 
beautifully laid out, and always thronged with visit- 
ors; concerts are given every evening, and refresh- 
ments can be had anywhere on the grounds. In this 
garden we saw some natives of Sumalia ride ostriches, 
by getting on their backs and holding by their wings; 
they go faster than a horse. They had with them 
the skins 9f tigers and other animals, and curiosities 
of all kinds, which were for sale. 

There is in the garden of the Herrenhausen, in 
Berlin, a very old tree, over 800 years old; its height 
is about 38 feet, and its lower circumference about 
five feet. When they built the new hall, King Fred- 
erick William IV. saved the venerable tree from de- 
struction. When, in 1866, on the return of the re- 
giment of the Guard from Bohemia, a festival was 
given in the garden, and Emperor William's stand 
was erected at the foot of this historical tree. 

In one of the museums in Berlin, devoted to 
Northern antiquities^ they have the representations 
from the idols, from which the names of the days of 
our week are derived. 

The Prussians and French do not like each other 
for the French are always boasting of ^^dlat they can 
do. On one occasion a Prussian general, named Yon 
Manteufel, was in company with the French minister 
at Berlin, and as usual he was boasting of what his 



98 Recollections of a Trip to Eurox>e. 

country could do ; he said they could make something 
of nothing. The general became very angry, and 
pulling one gray hair out of his moustache, handed 
it to the French minister, and told him to make 
something out of that. The minister took the hair 
and sent it to a jeweler in Paris ^ telling him the cir- 
cumstance, and that money was no object. It was 
sent back to Berlin ; the imperial eagle holding the 
hair in its beak; on each end of the hair a tiny 
gold ball; on one was Alsace, on the other Lorraine. 
On the breast of the eagle were the letters, " Held 
only by a single hair." The French minister pre- 
sented it to the Prussian general. 



CHAPTER YI. 



After spending three weeks in Berlin, and expect- 
ing to return after a trip up the Ehine, we left on the 
4th of July, 1885, for Magdeburg^ with a friend who 
spoke English. As we passed Wild Park station, 
near the Crown Prince's summer residence, we saw 
three ladies, plainly dressed in black cashmere suits, 
standing near, while a carriage and attendants were 
waiting. Our friend told us they were the Crown 
Prince's three daughters come to see some one off. 
On the same train with us was the Duke of Coburg 
Gotha. Magdeburg is the capital and seat of govern- 
ment of the Prussian province of Saxony, a fortress 
of the first rank, situated on the left bank of the 
Elbe, which is here divided in three arms. It is one 
of the most important towns in Forth Germany; 
possesses numei^ous wool, cotton, sugar, spirit, to- 
bacco, chocolate, and other factories. The houses in 
one street date mostly from the 17th century. The 
Cathedral,- a massive structure, was erected in 1208, 
oi#the site of the ancient Benedictine Church, which 
was burnt down. In the chapel beneath the towers 
is a monument to Archbishop Ernest; beneath, a 
simple marble slab in the choir, reposes Emperor 
Otho L, died 973; behind the high altar, his wife 
Editha, died 947. The pulpit is of alabaster, modern 



100 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

stained glass windows. Tilly's Marshal staff, gloves 
and helmet, and an indulgence chest of the notorious 
Tetzel, are also shown to the curious. Magdeburg 
suffered terribly in the thirty years' war in 1629; 
it successfull}' resisted Wallenstein during seven 
months, but was taken by storm by Tilly in 1631, 
and almost totally destroyed. It contains many hand- 
some private dwellings; a fine depot; elegant hotels 
and gardens ; there is also a monument to Otho I. ; 
the restaurant Belvediere is a favorite resort on the El- 
be. It has a handsome terrace and pleasure grounds, 
with a war monument. We also saw a Monastery, 
founded in 937, suppressed in 1810, and destroyed 
in 1812. 

We visited a garden on the suburbs, where the 
officers were giving a garden party to celebrate the 
25th anniversary of their stay in Magdeburg. They 
had a large band of music; the ladies were dressed 
in Kun's veiling of different colors, and wore large 
garden hats, trimmed to match their dresses; they 
danced in the open air; the officers were in rich uni- 
forms; it was a beautiful scene; they danced German 
cotillons, which seemed to take a long time, and the 
figures were hard to understand, as I noticed they 
became confused sometimes. After dancing until 
they were tired, the}^ went down on a beautiful green, 
and engaged in difierent plays until supper was an- 
nounced. A grand banquet was given in the hotel, 
and afterwards the grounds were illuminated by Chi- 
nese lanterns. All seemed to be having a gay time. 



Germany. 101 

They were iHiildiiig a car track from the city to this 
garden, and the men had a Lager beer keg on tap on 
the side of the road ; every once in a ^Yhile they 
wonld go up and take a drink and sit down and have 
a chat ; no one seemed to be in much of a hurry ; in 
fact, I noticed all through Germany, there is not the 
constant rush there is in America; everybody 
seemed to take their time about everything, and were 
happy and contented. In coming back from the gar- 
den we stopped to see the soldiers drill ; it was a beau- 
tiful sight to watch them giving signals, sending up 
balloons, just like they were in battle; the couriers 
were flying around, and reinforcements were con- 
stantly coming in, and the smoke hung like a pall 
over the field. It was a grand sight. The cavalry 
regiments in the Prussian army are also carefully 
drilled in the art of swimming their horses across 
rivers; this feat is performed with the utmost pre- 
cision and rapidity, whole regiments crossing and re- 
■ crossing in an astonishingl}' short time. 

In the cemetery in Magdeburg the graves are well 
kept. I stood by one that was covered b}' running 
roses, and was told a sad little story about the ones 
who were buried beneath. It seems a young lady 
was unhappily married., and obtained a divorce from 
her husband, and fell in love with a young lieutenant 
who was wounded at the battle of Sedan, and brought 
home to die. He requested to be married to the lady 
on his death-bed; they were married, and the lieu- 
tenant died, and was buried with military honors. 



102 jRecolledions of a Trip to Europe. 

A few days after, the widowed bride w^as missing 
from her home, and after an unsuccessful search some 
one suggested the cemetery. They found her dead on 
her husband's grave; they opened the grave and bu- 
ried them together. I stood a long time meditating 
beside their graves. A little bird had built a nest 
over the hearts of those who slept beneath (under the 
roses). Let us hope they are happy, and united in 
another and a fairer world. 

We went to another garden, where an American 
walked the tight-rope and performed some difficult 
feats in bycicle and trycicle riding. 

We visited the salt mines, a few miles from the 
city, the operations of which were very interesting. 



CHAPTER YII. 



After leaving Magdeburg, we took the train for 
Hanover^ and met some pleasant company who spoke 
English and explained many things we saw on the 
route. In the car was a German Baron, who wore 
very handsome diamonds. We passed many lovely 
villas and beautiful country seats, arriving in Han- 
over to dinner; went to Kasten's Hotel, a very tine 
building. The ceiling of the dining-room cost many 
thousand marks. We spent several days with our 
friends, and had an invitation from a party of Hol- 
landers to go with them to the Hartz Mountains, 
but, having our route laid out, we declined the invi- 
tation, and promised to visit them in their home 
some time in the distant future. We went to the 
Shelitzen Fest, and, as I never saw one before, I was 
charmed. Every amusement that could be men- 
tioned was in this garden. It was just like a vil- 
lage. Over one of the tents was a sign of an old 
man and woman smoking their pipes, and under- 
neath were the words " Welcome to Uncle Tom's 
Cabin." Here and there were tents with the words 
*'Tanz Music" painted conspicuously over the en- 
trance, in each of which we saw some twenty or 
thirty couples whirling in the dizzy waltz. In the 
refreshment saloons lots of jovial holiday folks were 



104 Recolleetkms of a Trij) to Europe. 

feasting on German sausage, black bread, Swiss 
cheese, beer and Rhine wine. Over one saloon I 
noticed the sign " Jager's refreshment saloon." 
They had dancing, racing, balloon ascensions, per- 
forming horses and dogs, wheels of fortune and cu- 
riosities of all kinds. They had everything imagina- 
ble to eat and drink, and all seemed to have a merry 
time. We saw a black man speaking German like a 
native. I went up and spoke to him, and he seemed 
to be delighted to meet some one who spoke his 
language. He said he was from Charleston, South 
Carolina, and was traveling with a show. He said 
when he first started out he made a good deal of 
money, but now black men were no curiosity in the 
portion of Germany he had traveled. We spent 
several days at the Fest, and enjoyed it ever so 
much. We then left for Dortmund, which is a great 
mining place with numerous founderies, in West- 
phalia, and the meeting point of several railways. 
It is one of the most ancient places in this part of 
the country, being mentioned in history as early as 
927. It successfully resisted a siege of twenty-one 
months by the Archbishop of Cologne and other 
princes, but after the thirty years' war, lost its im- 
portance. We took a carriage and drove around 
the city. A celebrated secret tribunal was founded 
in AVestphalia after the fall of Henri/ the Lion, at a 
time when anarchy prevailed throughout Germany, 
and in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries had ex- 
tended its sway over the whole empire. The num 



Germany. 105 

ber of the initiated, bound bj the most fearful oaths; 
to execute the decrees of the tribunal, is said to have 
exceeded 100,000 in Westphalia alone. Dortmund 
was the seat of the Supreme Court. The Emperor 
Sigismund himself vciis initiated in 1429. We saw 
one of the lime trees, which is upwards of four hun- 
dred years old. It is near the railwaj^ station, and 
is kept together by bands of iron. In Dortmund 
we ate some splendid Westphalia ham. After driv- 
ing around and visiting several stores, we took the 
train for Dusseldorf, which is a pleasant well-built 
town on the right bank of the Rhine. We went 
through the picture gallery, but nearly all the best 
paintings had been removed to Munich. In the 
heart of the older part of the town, with its narrow 
and irregular streets, stands the old Electoral Palace, 
which was remodeled in 1710 ; restored in Renais- 
sance style 1846, and almost entirely burned down 
in 1872. The church of St. Lamber is verj- old. 
The church of St. Andrew contains the tombs of 
several great counts. We visited several fine gar- 
dens and cafes or restaurants; saw many handsome 
monuments, and were very much pleased with the 
town. 

We took the train from Dusseldorf to Cologne, one 
of the most important commercial places in Ger- 
many, a fortress of the first class. Five-sixths of the 
inhabitants are Roman Catholics. It is on the left 
bank of the Rhine, and a bridge of boats connects it 
with a village called Deutz, on the opposite bank. 



106 Recollections of a Trip to Uitrope. 

Cologne, from a distance, with its numerous towers,, 
presents an imposing appearance, but most of the old. 
streets are narrow and gloomy; but of late they are 
improving it very much. Beautiful new streets are- 
springing up. Room has been made for more by the 
removal of the old wall, of which now only a few 
towers remain. The cathedral is the most magnifi- 
cent Gothic edifice in the world. The largest bell in 
one of the towers was cast, in 1874, with the metal 
of French guns, and Aveiglis twenty-five tons. The 
large stained glass window above the west portal was> 
presented by the Crown Prince and Princess. The ca- 
thedral was many hundred years in building, and on 
the 15th of October, 1880, the completion of the ca- 
thedral was celebrated in the presence of Emperor 
William and almost all the sovereign princes of the 
German Empire. I^o pen can describe the magnifi- 
cence of this building. There is a fine iron bridge 
which crosses the Rhine to the east of the cathedral,, 
completed in 1859; it is broad enough for a double 
line of rails, and a separate roadway for ordinary 
trafiic. It is 453 yards long and 47 feet above the 
average level of the water. Over the entrance on 
the left (Cologne) bank is the equestrian statue of 
Frederick William IV. On the right bank an 
equestrian statue of Emperor William I., both exe- 
cuted in 1867. The approach to the bridge afibrds a 
good survey of the choir of the cathedral. Cologne 
contains many places of interest. The synagogue was 
built at the expense of the banker, Oppenheimer; it is 



Germany. 107 

covered with a handsome gilded dome. There is also- 
a fine theatre, many handsome churches and a statue 
of Prince Bismarck, unveiled in 1879. There is also 
a square, planted with trees; in the midst is the hand- 
some Apostles' Church. When the plague raged at 
Cologne, in 1357, Richnodes Von Lyskirchen, wife 
of the knight, Von Adocht, was attacked by the mal- 
ady, and, having fallen in a death-like swoon, was in- 
terred in the Apostles' Church. Being awakened 
from her trance by a thievish grave-digger, in his at- 
tempt to abstract her rings, she returned to the 
house of her husband, who, imagining he beheld an 
apparition, declared he would sooner belie veh is 
horses could ascend to the loft of his house, than his 
departed wife could return to this earth in the flesh. 
" Scarcely had the words escaped his lips," so the 
legend says, " than horses' hoofs were heard ascend- 
ing the stairs, and their heads were speedily seen 
looking out of a window in the upper story of the 
house." The lady recovered and lived many years 
afterwards. The two horses' heads are still there, 
said to have been placed there to commemorate the 
miraculous event. 

We also saw the Church of St. Ursula, of the 5th 
century. Near the choir ait aisle contains the monu- 
ment, erected in 1658, to St. Ursula, an English prin- 
cess, who, according to the legend, when on her re- 
turn from a pilgrimage to Home, was barbarously 
murdered at Cologne, with her 11,000 virgin attend- 
ants. The figure is in alabaster, with a dove at the 



108 Recolkctions of a Trip to Europe. 

feet. The bones of these virgin martyrs are pre- 
served in cases put around the Church. The Jesuifs 
Church is also very handsome ; the bell was cast with 
the metal of cannon taken bv Tillv at Magdeburg, 
and presented by him to the Church. The Zoologi- 
cal garden is very fine. A band of music plays three 
times weekly. There is a harbor where vessels take 
refuge from the floating ice. And several spinning 
factories. 

It would be impossible to tell of the many histori- 
cal buildings and places of resort. When we left 
Cologne, the tables in the dining room were packed 
with flasks of Cologne made by Jules Farina, and 
crowds of tourists were buying it to bring to America 
and other parts of the world. We left Cologne on 
the steamer up the Rhine for Coblentz, having heard 
the Emperor and Empress were there. 

How can I describe the sail up the Rhine? The 
air was so mild, we had dinner on deck, and as we 
passed from one castle to another, on both sides, it 
was errand. I never shall foro-et it : old iw wreathed 
gothic ruins, hallowed by tradition; the royal palaces; 
the stately homes of the nobility; the straw-roofed 
huts of the peasantry; the many strange scenes in 
foreign lands, will never be forgotten. On the steamer 
was an American lady and gentleman. The lady did 
not seem to enjoy the grandeur of the scene. She 
said she was too much of an American to care for 
anything foreign, and that the Hudson river was far 
more beautiful than the Rhine, and that the Catskills 



Germany. 109 

and Adirondacks had far more attractions for her 
than Mount Bhmc or any mountain she saw in Eu- 
rope. I came near asking her why she came to Eu- 
rope, but, as she was not speaking to me I thought I 
had better keep quiet. When the steamer landed at 
Coblentz I was really sorry, for I never tired of the 
scenery. We stopped at Hotel Traube, and had a 
lovely room, with glass doors leading out on a bal- 
cony filled with flowers, where we had a full view of 
the Ehine and the Fort of Ehrenbreitstein on the op- 
posite side. 

Coblentz carries on an important wine trade, and 
manufactures large quantities of Champagne, most 
of which is sent to England and the British colonies. 
The town is surrounded by a wall. Few towns on the 
Rhine can vie with Coblentz in beauty of situation. 
It is at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle, two 
of the most picturesque rivers in Europe, and com- 
mands charming views in every direction. In the 
thirty years' war it was alternately besieged and gar- 
risoned by Swedish, French and Imperial troops. In 
1688, although the town was nearly destroyed by the 
French cannonade, they were compelled to retreat 
without effecting an entry. We saw the Palace of 
the Empress Augusta. She was spending a few 
weeks there, but the Emperor had left for Mns, where 
we intended going later. We walked through beau- 
tiful grounds, tastefully laid out under the auspices 
of Empress Augusta. On Sunday we determined to- 
visit the Fort Ehrenbreitstein, sometimes called the 



110 Bccollections of a Trip to Europe. 

Gibralter of the Khine, situated on a precipitous 
rock 387 feet above the Ehine, and 573 feet above the 
sea, inaccessible on three sides. The massive fortifi- 
cations were long considered a marvel of military en- 
gineering. This fortress has only thrice succumbed 
to an enemy. On the first of these occasions it fell 
in the hands of the French in 1631, through the 
treachery of Elector Philip-Christopher. In 1637, 
the Imperial General Johan Yon Werth, invested it 
with his troops, and the garrison was forced to capit- 
ulate, through hunger. 

Durins: the war of the French Eevolution EJwen- 
hreitstein was unsuccessfully besieged four times, but 
on the 27th of January, 1799, was surrendered by 
the gallant Col. Faber after all the provisions had 
been exhausted. Visitors are conducted over the 
fortress by a sergeant. Cards of admission are given 
for which a small sum is paid, which is given to 
charitable purposes. The Louisa Tower, on the 
west slope of the hill, derives its name from the 
Grand Duchess Louisa, of Baden, daughter of the 
Emperor of Germany, who spent some of her early 
years at Coblentz. After viewing the fort, from the 
t:op of which we had a fine view of the Rhine and 
all the surrounding country, instead of going back to 
Ooblentz that day, we kept on to Ems^ and on the 
way stopped at a very fine Catholic church, the 
name of which I have forgotten. The ceiling over 
the altar was of pearl. Everywhere in the grounds 
-was the imas^e of the Viro^in Mary in white marble 



Germany. Ill 

while the people in crowds knelt before it. Other 
figures, representing Bible history, were in different 
parts of the grounds. A guide conducted us through 
and explained everything. After resting and taking 
refreshments at the mn, we continued our journey to 
Evis, which we reached in time for dinner. After 
dinner we went to see the different places of interest; 
were disappointed to hear the emperor had just left 
for Darmstadt, so had to content myself with a news- 
paper with the list of arrivals, the emperor heading 
the list. Ems is visited annually by 12,000 patients, 
besides 5,000 tourists. The town is prettily sit- 
uated on both banks of the Lahn, in a narrow valley 
•enclosed by wooded and vine clad rocky heights. 
It consists of a street of lodging houses on the right 
bank of the river. The river is spanned by four 
bridges. The Cursall, the Curhaus and the Cur 
garden adjoining form the centre of attraction to 
visitors. The pleasure grounds of the latter being 
thronged with a fashionable crowd, while the band 
plays in the afternoon. The Cursall contains several 
magnificent saloons, a reading-room, a restaurant 
:and Cafe. We stood on the marble slab which is 
placed in the ground to indicate the spot where, on 
the 13th of July, 1870, King William ordered his 
adjutant Count Lehndorf to give his memorable an- 
swer to the obtrusive French ambassador Benne- 
detti. There is a covered promenade for visitors in 
wet weather, and lovely shaded walks on the left 
bank of the river. On top of a high jagged rock of 



112 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

slate is a tower built for the sake of the view. The 
bathhouse erected in 1853, each of its courts being 
embellished with fountains of mineral water, worked 
by steam. We spent a delightful day, and drove 
home by moonlight. In passing through a little 
town there was some kind of a festival going on^ 
and the band was playing a gay tune, and the lads 
and lassies were tripping the light fantastic toe. 
There were crarlands of flowers huno; across the 
streets, and flags w^ere flying from the windows, 
while the guests were having a jolly time. When 
we arrived at Coblentz it was about ten o'clock. 
We retired much pleased with our day visit. 

The next day we took a carriage and drove to 
every place of interest; to a plateau employed as a 
military drilling-ground; was, in 1870-'71, occupied 
by an encampment of 10,000 French prisoners of war. 
The palace is a large building, and was converted by 
the French into a hospital and barracks. It was after- 
w-ards restored by the Prussian government, and fit- 
ted up as a palace in 1845. 

The Church at St. Castor is very fine, and has sev- 
eral tow^ers. 



CHAPTER VIII 



We took the steamer for Biiigeii — "fair Biiigen 
on the Rhine." We passed many ancient castles and 
small towns, all of which have a history. On a 
rocky eminence stands two castles, called "the broth- 
ers," connected by sharp rocks. The legend of 
these castles may be briefly told: Conrad and 
Heinrich, sons of the knight, Bayer Von Poppard, 
the Lord of Leibensiein, were enamored of their foster 
sister, the beautiful Hildegarde. Hemrich, with rare 
generosity, tore himself away and joined the Cru- 
sades, leaving his brother, Conrad, to win the prize. 
That his son and his fair bride might still be near 
him, the old knight built the castle of Sterrenburg 
for their reception, but his death occurring before its 
completion, the nuptials were postponed; meanwhile, 
Conrad's heart grew cold towards Hildegarde. 
Hearing of the valient deeds of his absent brother, 
his soul burned to share his honors, and weary of an 
inactive life, he joined the Crusades. Hildegarde 
now passed her days in the lonely castle, brooding 
over her sad fate, not doubting the affection of Con- 
rad, but weeping over the uncertainty of his return. 
Suddenly Conrad returned to Sterrenburg with a 
lovely Grecian bride, and the outraged Hildegarde, 
stunned by the blow, shut herself up in the loneliest 



114 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

chamber of her dreary abode, and refused to see any 
'One but her attendant. 

Late one evening a stranger knight demanded the 
hospitahty of the castle. He proved to be the chiv- 
ah'ous Heinrich, who, hearing of his brother's perfidy 
and his foster sister's wrongs, challenged Conrad to 
single combat; but Hildegarde interposed between 
them, and insisted on a reconciliation, to Avhich they 
reluctantly consented. Hildegarde then retired to 
the convent of Bonnhofe'n, at the base of the rock 
on which the castle stands. 

Conrad's Grecian bride soon proved faithless, and 
he, overcome with shame and remorse, threw him- 
self on his generous brother's breast, exclaiming that 
no consolation was now left him but his friendship. 
Thus their estrangement ended, and the brothers 
thenceforth lived together in harmony and retirement 
at Liebenstein, while Sterrenburg was forever de- 
serted; the ruins are very interesting. 

There is another large ledge of rocks called the 
Lurlie, 433 feet above the Rliine. The legend says a 
nymph had her dwelling on the rock, and like the 
Sirens of old, enticed sailors and fishermen to their 
destruction. In the rapids at the foot of the preci- 
pice, the legend says a treasure lies buried beneath 
the Lurlenberg. Our steamer fired a gun, so we 
could hear the famous echo, but it can only be heard 
in the quiet of the early morning or late evening. 
The edge of the Lurlie rock presents the appearance 
of a human profile, supposed to resemble that of Xa- 



Germany. 115 

poleon I. There is a rock}' point to the left, which 
the railway penetrates by a tunnel, a ridge of rocks, 
known as the "Seven Virgins," visible when the 
river is low. It is said that these ruoro;ed masses were 
once seven fair maidens of the Schihiburg, who were 
condemned by the river-god for their prudery to this 
metamorphosis. There is a ruined castle, called the 
Devil's Ladder, of which a legend records that a 
Knight of Lorch, with the assistance of mountain 
sprites, once scaled on horseback, and thus gained 
the hand of his lady love. In going up the Rhine, 
to the right is Clemen's Kapel, a small chapel lately 
restored by the Princess Fredericka of Prussia. The 
history of the Church is unknown, but it is on re- 
cord that it was once visited by Emperor Maxmillian 
I. It was supposed to have been built by the Knights 
of Waldeck, to insure the soul's peace of the robber 
knights slain or hanged by Kudolph of Hapsburg. 
A little above the church rises the picturesque Castle 
of Rheinstein. In 1825-29, Prince Frederick of Prus- 
sia, caused the castle to be restored inlthe mediawal 
style, and he died in 1863, and was interred in the cha- 
pel. On a ledge of rocks in the middle of the Rhine, 
rises a small building, well preserved; it has a tower, 
and covered with an unsightly roof; numerous turrets 
jutting corners, loop-holes in every direction, and one 
entrance only, situated about six feet above the rock, 
and reached by means of a ladder. The upper angle 
of the building, with its stanchions and grappling 
irons, serves to break the force of the floating ice in 



116 Recollections of a Trip to Eiirojye. 

winter. To the right of the entrance is a tablet, 
commemorating the passage of the Rhine on Janu- 
ary 1st, 1814. 

At this point, early on IS'ew-year's day, 1814, a 
Prussian corps, under York, and a division of Rus- 
sian troops, under Langeron, effected the passage of 
the Rhine, under the direction of Blucher; a small 
monument, in sandstone, commemorates this event. 

Assmannhausen is a village, with 960 inhabitants; 
it is celebrated for its full bodied and highly flavored 
red wine; has a warm alkaline spring, containing 
liihici, which was known as far back as the Roman 
period. 

Beyond Assmannhausen the steamer reaches the 
Binger Loch, a rapid caused by the narrowness of 
the rocky channel, the widening of which has been the 
work of ages. The passage is now free from danger, 
but in descending, the larger rafts require to be 
piloted with extreme caution. The steep slopes of 
the Riidesheimer mountains yield the wine of that 
name, and terrace rise above terrace, to secure the 
soil from washing away. The hill is completely 
covered with walls and arches ; the careful preserva- 
tion of which conve^^s an idea of the value of the 
vines. According to tradition, Charlemagne ob- 
served from his palace at Ingelheim that the snow 
always melted flrst on the Riidesheimer Mount, and 
therefore caused vines to be brought from Orleans 
and planted there. On a quartz rock, in the middle 
of the Rhine, is situated the Mouse tower, said to 



Germany. 117 

derive its name from the well known legend of the 
cruel Archbishop Hatto, of Mayence, having caused 
a number of poor people, whom he compared to 
mice, bent on devouring the corn, to be burned in 
a barn during a famine. He was immediately at- 
tacked by mice, which tormented him day and night. 
He then sought refuge on this island, but was fol- 
lowed by his persecutors and soon devoured alive. 
The tower, however, Avas in reality erected in the 
middle ages as a watch tower, and the name is de- 
rived from the old German word "viusee^'' " to spy." 
In 1856 the ruins were again converted into a kind 
of watch-tower for making signals to steamers, 
which, in descending the river, are required to 
slacken speed here, when other vessels are coming 
ap the stream. Nearly opposite Bingen is a rock in 
the Rhine marked with a black cross, in which the 
heart of the Rhenish historian, Voigt, who died 
1836, was deposited at his own request. After 
viewing the beautiful scenery on the historic Rhine, 
we landed at Bingen and saw the yellow sunlight 
fall on the vine clad hills of Bingen, " Fair Bingen 
on the Rhine." 

We took a carriage and drove to Hotel Hartman, 
situated on a high hill, in full view of the Mederwald 
Monument on the other side of the Rhine. 

Bino^en is a Hessian town, situated at the conilu- 
ence of the Nahe and Rhine. In the middle ages it 
was a free town of the Empire, and one of the ear- 
liest members of the confederation of Rhenish towns. 



118 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

Dnrins^ the thirty years' war it was repeatedly cap- 
tured, and in 1689, it was ahnost totally destroyed by 
the French. Bingen carries on a large trade in wine. 
Above the town, on the site of the ancient Roman 
Fortress, rises the castle of Klopp, which was de- 
stroyed by the French in 1689, but has been taste- 
fully restored and extended. 

The finest points in the neighborhood of Bingen, 
are the Rochuscapelle. In order to reach it we passed 
the cemetery, which contains monuments to the 
memory of ISTapoleon's veterans^ and of the campaign 
of 1870-71. There is an old tombstone which con- 
tains an epitaph which seemed to amuse everyone 
who read it. 

Rudesheim is just across the river from Bingen. 
The celebrated wine of that place can boast of the 
longest pedigree on the Rhine. It is a nice little 
town, with 3,700 inhabitants, who live by the culture 
of the vine; lies in a sunny situation at the south 
base of the Niederwald. At the lower end of the 
town rises the Castle of Bromberg, which was ori- 
ginally the seat of the Knights of Riidesheim, whOy 
in 1282, were compelled to become vassals of the 
Archbishop of Mayence, as a punishment for bri- 
gandage; part of it was destroyed in 1640. 

The Mederwald Monument, erected in commemo- 
ration of the unanimous rising of the German peo- 
ple, and the restoration of the German Empire in 
1870-71, stands on a hill opposite Bingen, conspicu- 
ous far and wide. It was inaugurated in 1883, in the 



Germany. 119 

presence of the Emperor and numerous other Ger- 
man princes. The huge base is 78 feet high, while 
the noble form of Germania, with the Imperial 
Crown, and the laurel-wreathed sword, an emblem of 
the unity and strength of the Empire, is 33 feet in 
height. It keeps watch over the Rhine; it contains 
portraits of the Emperor, and other German princes 
and generals; and also represents the departure and 
return of troops. This magniiicent monument cost 
many thousand marks. We left Bingen on the train 
for Kreutznach, on the river Nahe, about ten miles 
from the Rhine. It is the birthplace of one of our 
townsmen. It is a very picturesque little town; has 
two-story little houses built out on the piers. We 
stopped at Hotel Rees, kept by a widow lady with 
three daughters, one married, who spoke English; 
we met an American family there, who were very 
pleasant, and w^e had quite a nice time. 

Kreutznach is famous for its salt springs, which are 
much frequented, and visited by upwards of six thou- 
sand patients annually. The salt baths are particu- 
larly beneficial in cases of scrofula and cutaneous dis- 
eases. Reese Hotel is a mile from the city, but it is 
a lovely walk, Avith seats all along the road. We 
would walk up every day, once or twice. The band 
plays every day at the Curhaus or the Spring; we sit 
for hours in the covered walk-way which leads through 
the park to the extreme end, where is situated the 
Elizabeth Spring, the waters of which are drunk 
twice a day, as part of the cure. There are a great 



120 jRecoUectmis of a Trip to Europe. 

many handsome stores, which sell all kinds of fancy 
articles, made of Agate. 

While we were at Ivrentznach, we went on a 
Sunday to see a horse race, as I had never seen one. 
There were many Americans present, who bet 
pretty freely. I liked the races very much, but one 
of the jockeys, in clearins^ the hurdle, met with an 
accident, his horse rolling over on him. He was 
taken up for dead, but was not hurt as bad as first 
supposed. 

There are lovely walks across the river, on the 
left bank of which is a castle called the Schlossberg, 
a hill laid out as private pleasure grounds. Shady 
walks ascend the hill from the bridge over the IS'ahe. 
The ruined castle, of Krauzenberg, the ancient seat 
of the Sponhewi family, which was destroyed by the 
French in 1689, commands a fine view of the valley. 
A lion, hewn in stone, commemorates the gallant 
conduct of Michael Mort, a butcher of Kreuznach, 
who sacrificed his life in a battle against Archbishop 
Werner, of Mayence, in 1279, to save his Prince, 
Johann Von Sponheim. We had some delightful 
walks and rides and sails in pleasure boats, covered 
with awnings, rowed by boatmen in picturesque 
costumes. Sometimes we would go up in a boat to 
the city and ride back in a carriage. And we would 
often stand on the bridge at Kreutznach and watch 
the boats pass under, filled with tourists, singing 
merry songs. We spent a delightful week at Kreut- 
nach, every day making some excursion. One day 



Germ any. 121 

we crossed the bridge and went up on a high moun- 
tain, where we had a full view of Bingen and the 
Mederwald Monument. We went to the Kothenfels, 
a perpendicular cliff, T)00 feet high, from which we 
had a magnificent view; in coming down we came in 
a road down the mountain like a winding stair. It 
was a lovely sight — the vine^^ards below us, and we 
so many feet higher. We landed at 3fiinster, on the 
Stein, a village pleasantly situated, and bids fair to 
rival Kreutznach as a watering place. It possesses 
salt springs. Several ruined castles are in sight and 
many pleasant villages. The ruined castle of Ebern- 
burg, once the stronghold of Franz Yon Sickengen, 
and an asylum for outlaws and fugitives. In going 
up the mountain we took refreshments at the For- 
ester's cottage, at the foot of the mountain. In Mlin- 
ster we saw an American actor, whose stage name 
was Maurice Moritzan. We went from Miinster in 
a conveyance something like an ambulance, which 
held about sixteen people. The landlady at Kreutz- 
nach had a Lynx stuffed, which her husband had 
shot on the mountains around Kreutznach. We left 
Kreutznach for Bingen, intending to take the boat 
for Mayence. We took a last view of the Nieder- 
wald Monument through a telescope at the wharf, and 
of the Hotel Ilartman, which has a veranda, where 
visitors look through telescopes at the view across the 
Khine. We took breakfast iu' a room enclosed with 
glass, giving a lovely view of the ruined castles and 
the vallev below. 



122 BecoUeetions of a Trip to Europe. 

We passed many beautiful villages and castles ^ 
and after a delightful trip, arrived at Mayence (Ger- 
man, Mainz) about dusk. Took rooms at Hotel 
Hollande, which is very fine. Mayence is a stronly 
fortified town ; has garrison of 8,000 soldiers, is on 
the left bank of the Rhine, and is connected by a 
bridge of boats with the little town of Castel. I will 
never forget my promenade on the quay, which leads 
along the bank of the Rhine. It was a lovel}' night 
and the stars shone brightly, and were reflected in 
the water, reminding me of the song, " Ten thousand 
stars are in the sky, ten thosand in the sea.'" We 
took a carriage next day, and drove to every place of 
interest. The driver being well posted, we gained 
a good deal of information. The cathedral was 
built in 975-1011, but was burned down imme- 
diately after its consecration. It was then restored, 
and again destro3'ed by fire in 1108-1137. After 
each occasion it was erected on a grander scale than 
before. In 1767 it was injured by lightning, and, in 
1793, again damaged by the siege., after which it was 
repeatedly used as a magazine. In 1814 it was 
again restored to its sacred uses. iN'ear the cathe- 
dral is the statue of Guttenberg, executed in Paris^ 
and erected in 1837. The palace, begun in 1627^ 
and hastily finished in 1678, on a much less grand 
scale than once intended, was the residence of the 
Electors down to 1792, and during the French war, 
was used as a hay magazine, and is now used for the 
collection of Roman antiquities. The old streets are 



Germany. 12o 

crooked and narrow, but handsome new buildings 
and streets are springing up. A tunnel is now in 
progress 1300 feet long. On an eminence rises the 
handsome Gothic church, of St. Steven, erected in 
1257-1318, on the highest site in the town, 98 feet 
above the level of the Rhine. Among the objects of 
interest it contains are the bones and sacerdotal vest-- 
ments of Archbishop Willigis, several monuments in 
stone and altar pieces. The cemetery, which was 
once the burying-ground of the Roman legions, is 
tastefully laid out. Mayence is, historically, one of 
the most interesting of the Rhenish towns; its im- 
portant strategic situation has, in all ages, attracted 
attention. 

We left Mayence, on the cars, for Monheim, a town 
situated near the confluence of the ]N"ecker and 
Rhine. It is considered the most regular built town 
in Germany, being divided in squares and sections 
like a chess-board. The streets are distinguished 
according to the American system, by letters and 
numerals. The staple commodities are tobacco, cof- 
fee, grain and petroleum. The theatre is considered 
one of the best in Germany. Schiller's monument 
was erected in 1862, and there is a monument to a 
distinguished actor, who began his career in Mon- 
heim. There is also the Jesuit Church, the Arsenal, 
the Synagogue and many other handsome buildings. 
From Monheim we went to Worms, which suffered 
terribly during the thirty years war. 

In 1689 the town was treated w^ith savage cruelty 



124 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

%j Mela, and the young Duke de Creqni. After hav- 
ing been pillaged, it was set on fire, and, with the 
exception of the cathedral and sj^nagogue, soon be- 
•came one smouldering heap of ruins. The town was 
•one of the most important in Germany during the 
middle ages; has 11,400 Protestants, 6,200 Koman 
-Catholics and 1,200 Jews. 

The monument to Luther^ the Great Eeformer of 
•Germany, which was nine years in building, is 
grand. The statue of Luther^ in bronze, stands on 
ii platform : in his left hand he holds a Bible, on 
which his right hand is placed emphatically, while 
his face, on which faith is admirably portrayed, is 
turned upwards. He is surrounded by a number of 
bold spirits, who before, or along with him, had 
fought the last struggle for the Reformation. The 
people of Worms are engaged in the culture of the 
rine, and they carry on a considerable trade in 
leather. We bouorht here some excellent cherries 
jand plums, the largest I ever saw. We look dinner 
;at a nice restaurant, kept by a man who had twin 
boys named Conrad and Frantz. 

We took the train for Heidelberg, which contains 
the university of 1,000 students, who wear fancy 
<iaps to distinguish their clubs, and are much given 
to beer drinking and duelling. We hardly saw a 
dozen that were not scarred by some sharp pointed 
instrument on the face, and they looked as if they 
were proud of it. So much has been written. about 
the castle that I am almost afraid to attempt to de- 



Germcmy. 125 

scribe it, bat will do the best I can. It is the most 
magnificent ruins in Germany, and contains the 
famons Heidelberg Tun, a monster cask, capable 
of holding 49,000 gallons. By the tun stands a 
grotesque figure of Pekoe, court jester of Elector" 
Charles Phillip, who is said to have drunk eighteen 
bottles of wine a day. There was a lady who spoke 
different languages, wdio guided visitors over the 
castle ; she said the wine in the great tun had been 
drank out once by the French Army. There are 
two other smaller tuns bearing strange inscriptions. 
We went all through the castle. These ivy clad 
ruins are linked with innumerable historical asso- 
ciations. 

The Frederick's bau contains collections of por- 
traits of PalDtine princes, statesmen, generals and 
professors, coins, relics, weapons, ornaments, views 
of the castle at different periods. A cork model of 
the castle; a relief plan of the environs of Heidel- 
berg. A vaulted passage leads under the Frederick's 
bau to the great balcony constructed in 1610, which 
commands a beautiful view. Over the entrance to 
the Rupert's bau is a rosary borne by two an- 
gels. The masonry of the castle is so solid that 
when the French blew it up, in 1689, one half be- 
came detached and fell in an unbroken mass into 
the Moat, where it still remains. The tower is 93 
feet in diameter. The walls are 21 feet thick; be- 
neath are long casemated passages. In 1622, when 
the castle was taken by Tilly, it escaped almost un- 



126 Recollections of a Trip to Eurojye. 

injured; it was afterwards restored by Carl Ludwig, 
during whose reign the country also recovered from 
the disasters of the thirt}' years' war. After the 
death of Carl, Louis XFV". began the cruel war 
which involved the castle of Heidelberg, and so 
many others, in one common ruin. On the 24th of 
■October, 1688, the town and castle capitulated to 
-Count Melac, the French general, who spent the 
following winter there. On the approach of the 
'German armies he determined to evacuate the place, 
•and on the 2nd of March, 1689, caused the whole of 
the fortilications to be blown up, the palace to be 
burned down, and part of the town to be set on fire. 
Forty years later the greater part of the castle was 
rebuilt by Elector Karl Theodor, but in 1764 it was 
struck by lightning and reduced to its jDresent ruin- 
ous condition. In the kitchen of the castle is an 
open fire place where they roasted whole oxen, and 
in nearly every room are little closets with loop 
holes, where the inmates viewed their enemies from 
a distance. To the castle direct is three miles: one 
can ride up on donkeys or go in carriages. I plucked 
some ivy from the old ruins and brought it home 
with me. We stopped at Grand Hotel Schreider, 
near the station, and the next morning at breakfast 
was asked by the head waiter if we belonged to the 
party of Americans, who intended to explore the 
castle that da}'. From Heidelberg we went to 
Frankfort, on the Main, which is a large city, and 
belongs to Prussia. Old watch towers in the vicinity 



Germany. 127 

indicate its ancient extent. The city lies in a spa- 
cious plain, bounded by mountains, on the right 
bank of the navigable Main. On the left bank lies 
Sachsenhausen, connected with Frankfort by four 
stone bridges, and an iron suspension bridge. The 
air of wealth and importance which pervades the 
city affords an indication of the success and extent 
of its commercial relations ; it has been much im- 
proved since 18(32, when we were there. IS'ew and 
imposing buildings are springing up everywhere. 
The new opera house is magnificent ; was opened in 
1880. We saw the hotel where Emperor VYilliam 
stops when he visits Frankfort, and in front is a 
balcony where he appeared to the people. The 
monument to Guttenberg and G(Bthe, and the house 
where Goethe was born is also to be seen. There is 
a street called Juden Straps, or Jew street, which 
many years ago was closed every evening, and on 
Sundays and holidays throughout the whole day 
with lock and key, and no Jew might venture into 
any part of the town under a heavy penalty. In 
spite of this tyranny many denizens of these squalid 
purlieus flourished, and among them the enormously 
wealthy family of Rothschild, who originally resided 
on this street The house where they were born, 
and where Madam Rothschild died some years ago, 
was undergoing repairs. They have set it back 
from the street, and are widening the street, but the 
original house still stands. At the end of this street 
stands the old synagogue. 



128 Recollections of a Trip to jEuroj^e. 

There is a handsome bridge over the Main, con- 
structed in 1342. In the middle of the bridge is a 
statue of Charlemagne, erected in 1843 ; near it is an 
old iron cross, with a rooster perched on top. Tra- 
dition says that the rooster was the victim of a vow 
made by the architect to sacrifice to the Devil the 
first living thing which crossed the bridge. There is 
a cemetery which contains several handsome monu- 
ments, and a vault belonging to the Bethmann fam- 
ily, and several handsome reliefs to the memory of 
Herr V. Bethmann, who died at Florence of an ill- 
ness caused by his exertions on the occasion of a fire 
at Baden, near Vienna. The hurried presentation 
of an oak wreath to the dying man in the larger re- 
lief, is an allusion to a letter of thanks written to him 
by the Emperor of Austria. The Jewish burying- 
ground contains a marble sarcophagus to the memory 
of Carl Rothschild, who died in 1855. 

Frankfort is a magnificent city. There we saw 
cars run by electricity. Across the river is Sachsen- 
hausen, said to have been founded by Charlemagne, 
and assigned by hiyn as a residence to the conquered 
Saxons, from whom it derives its name. 

We left Frankfort for Gillenhausen, stopping at 
Hanau, the junction for the express trains from 
Frankfort, and Stuttgart and Berlin. It is a pleasant 
town, with 23,000 inhabitants, with silk and woolen 
manufactories. The more modern part of the town 
was founded in 1597, by Protestant exiles from the 
Netherlands, to whom an asylum in Frankfort was 



Germany. 129 

denied. Gillenhausen is a town situated on a red 
soil, which contrasts picturesquely with the ^^reen 
vineyards. On an island in the Kinzig are the ruins 
of an Imperial Palace, erected by Frederick L, in 
1144, part of which is still in tolerable preservation. 
The arches of the windows rest on clustered columns, 
with beautiful capitals. The Emperor Frederick 
Babarossa held a great assembly here in 1110, to pro- 
nounce the Imperial Ban against Duke Henry the 
Lion. We stopped at a hotel called Deuitch HousCy 
kept by a young married couple; we saw milch cows 
drawing wood, and they looked as fat and' sleek as if 
they were standing knee-deep in clover. On leaving 
for the train I got in the midst of a flock of geese, 
and I never heard such a noise ; they were pulling 
my dress and chattering like so many magpies; I 
was actually frightened. In gonig along, a man 
would come out of a house and blow a horn, and the 
hogs would run out of the gateways and file right 
and left like soldiers. At different places we could 
see shepherds, with their crooked sticks and dogs, 
keeping watch over their flocks. 

From Gillenhausen we went back again to Mill- 
hausen and the Englisher Hoff", and it really seemed 
like home, after traveling so long. A few days 
after arriving, we received cards to a betrothal 
ceremony of a young friend, who was very beautiful, 
in fact the loveliest girl I saw in Germany. The 
bride elect was handsomely dressed in white and 
crowned with flowers. She received her guests in 



130 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

her father's parlor, which was decorated with flowers, 
and the tables were loaded with costly presents. The 
married sisters of the bride all came and kissed their 
new brother-in-law, and welcomed him into the family. 
Cards and telegrams were coming in all day, and re- 
freshments were served every few minutes. We left, 
with many good wishes for their future happiness, 
and spent the remainder of the evening in a garden 
where a band of music was playing a grand old air, 
and where the dancers were drifting, and floating and 
gliding, till the lights were dim and the guests all 
gone. " We never heed how the moments fly ; swift 
winged as swallows they pass us by; for hcirk^ the 
music in discord dies; dawn is blossoming in the 
skies." Some young friends proposed a trip to Saal- 
field and Rudolstadt, and no sooner said than done. 
A party w^as made up to start in a few days. 

We left Millhausen with a gay company' on the 
morning train, and arrived at Saalfeld at dinner 
time, where friends met us at the depot. We stopped 
at Hotel Hirsh. We passed Schwarza, near which 
is the battle field, 10th of October, 1806, where 
Launes and Ausrerean with thirtv thousand men de- 
feated eleven thousand Prussians and Saxons under 
Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (the prince was 
killed). We saw the marble stone erected to his 
memory on the spot where he was shot, after which 
he rode about a hundred yards before he fell from 
his horse. His remains were buried in Berlin. We 
spent several hours at Jena^ which has a fine 



Germany. 131 

university. Many streets contain memorial tablets 
to illustrious men who were once teachers or students 
at the university. We walked over the battle field 
oi Jena, where Napoleon, with his superior general- 
ship and a large army, signally defeated the Prus- 
sians under Prince Hohenloe. We made up a party 
to go to the castle of Schwarzburg ; we left in car- 
riages ; it was a lovely drive in one of the most pic- 
turesque and beautiful wooded valleys in Thuringia. 
The Chrysophas Inn, where we took dinner, com- 
mands a fine view of the Thuringian Forest, On 
one side we see the rounded and dark wooded sum- 
mit and narrow valleys of the slate formation, and 
on the other the light colored limestone peaks with 
wide flat valleys between them. We saw deers 
grazing in the valleys and a thunderstorm on the 
mountains, which was suhlirne. 

We went to Eberstein, a shooting lodge of the 
Prince ; the house, on a mountain, is occupied by an 
attendant who feeds the wild boars ; they are hunted 
by the noblemen at stated times, and may be seen 
roaming about most any time. The Castle is charm- 
ingly situated on an eminence 256 feet high ; dates 
its present form from 1726, when the other building 
was burned down. It contains an interesting armory 
and some fine antlers; we visited the Trippstein, 
a beautiful open space, with a summer-house, com- 
manding a striking view of the Schwarzburg. A 
little way from the Trippstein is a shooting lodge, 
containino; furniture made from the antlers of the 



132 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

deer killed in that vicinity; we registered our names 
on the summer-house at the Trippstein, among many 
hundred more, and had a lovely drive through the 
forest, where the trees were so tall and large that one 
of them would almost furnish a winter's supply of 
lire-wood. The driver got out and gathered for us 
the wild strawberries, which were quite plentifuL 
Our party was a very gay one, singing Bonnie Doon 
and other songs, which sounded very sweetly through 
the forest. 

Before we got out of the forest the weather turned 
very cool, and when we arrived at the Weisser Hirsh, 
or White Deer, we were glad to find a fire. As it 
was warm when we started I never provided a wrap- 
ping, and consequently sufiier^d from the change in 
temperature, after getting back to Saalfeld, which 
is an old town on the Saale, having numerous sewing 
machine and other factories, also the castle of the 
extinct Dukes of Saalfeld, and a chateau of the 16th 
century. 

After getting tired of Saalfeld, we left with a gay 
party on the train for Rudolstadt, in Saxony, at the 
foot of the Thuringia Mountains, on the river Sacde. 
At the height of 200 feet rises the Castle Heidecks- 
burg, the residence of the Prince, containing a hand- 
some Rococo hall and several fine pictures ; we visited 
the Grand Duke's bath-room; went in his private 
rooms. His bath-room is superbly grand ; the walls 
are painted to represent Kymphs bathing, and the 
ceiling Aurora, rising from the sea in a cloud of stars; 



Gcrmamj. 133 

mirrors in solid gold frames; and a sofa, the cover of 
which cost 1,200 dollars; everything was magnificent. 
We took dinner at the restaurant, and then visited 
an old lady, whose husband and son are friends of 
ours in Baltimore. She was delighted to see us, and 
made many inquiries about her friends in America. 
She gave us bouquets of rare flowers out of her gar- 
den, and came with her niece down to the station to 
see us off. We bade our Saalfeld friends a long adieu, 
arid left for Millhausen, where we arrived about 
twilio^ht. 



CHAPTER X. 



Millhausen is on the river Unstrnt, surrounded 
with beautiful walks and drives, and the stream of 
water that runs through the street makes a musical 
sound in the dead hour of night. I used to lay awake 
for hours listening to it, and would often sit at the 
window of moon-light nights and watch the water as 
it reflected the moon's rays in our chamber. 

It was in Millhausen that Thomas Mlinzer, leader 
of the German Anabaptists, was defeated, captured, 
and executed where the principal of his enormi- 
ties were committed. 

While out walking one night, I observed a light 
in the steeple of a Church, and was told that the 
family lived in the steeple who took care of the 
Church. I have always regretted that I did not go 
up to see how the family was flxed. On a street, 
lined with large trees many years old, is a spot marked 
where Queen Louise rested when she was fleeing 
from Napoleon. In a garden were some soldiers, who 
were having a grand time drinking beer and singing. 
Their time expired in the army in a few months; 
they had their pictures taken, with a lager beer keg 
and glasses of beer in their hands. (3ne of the pic- 
tures was presented to us. At the hotel there was a 
magnificent St. Bernadine dog, the largest I ever saw ; 



Germany. 135 

he was kept muzzled all the time; he followed us 
everywhere ; the landlady said he was so much petted 
that she was afraid he would not be of much account, 
and offered to sell him to us, but it w^as too much 
trouble to bring him to America, and so we declined. 
We learned this dog was very vicious ; he followed 
us to the station, and I thought my last hour had 
come w^hen he jumped on the cars put his fore-paws 
on my lap to tell me good-bye. Shall I ever forget 
that parting? The cars were full of flowers, and our 
friends weeping. It looked more like a funeral than 
a parting for a few years. How many changes will 
take place before w^e see those dear faces again ? 
Among the crowd was three betrothed lovers, who 
bid us " God speed, over the dark w^aters of the beau- 
tiful murmuring sea." 

On our way to Berlin we stopped at Halle. We 
took a carriage and drove around the city. Pear 
and apple trees grow on the sidewalk loaded with 
fruit, and no one touches them. Halle contains a 
large and flourishing university. The town is a 
commercial place of great importance. In the cen- 
tre of the old town rises the clock tower 276 feet in 
height. After riding around the city, and viewing 
the places of interest, we took the train for Berlin. 
On the i^oute we stopped at Leipsic, allowing our 
baggage to go on to Berlin. We found a very nice 
hotel near the station. Leipsic is one of the most 
important towns in Germany, it being the centre of 
the German book trade, and is the seat of the su- 



136 Recollections of a Trip to Earope. 

preme law courts of the German Empire; also the 
seat of one of the most ancient and important uni- 
versities in Europe. Leipsic holds a great many 
fairs. On these occasions the town is thronged 
with forty or fifty thousand traders from all parts of 
Europe, made up of Jews, Greeks, Bulgarians, Ar- 
menians and Turks. The most important of the 
staple commodities at the fairs are furs. They also 
sell leather, cloth, glass and linen. There are about 
three hundred book stores in Leipsic, and eighty 
printing offices. The books are sent to all parts of 
Europe and to more distant countries. The churches 
present few attractions. One contains cannon balls 
built in the wall by the window, and a stone pulpit 
from which Luther preached; a room that G(Me 
occupied when he was a student in 1767. There is 
a small monument to commemorate the premature 
blowing up of the bridge by the French on the 19th 
of October, 1813, which proved so fatal to their rear 
guard. The spot where Prince Poniatowsky was 
drowned, in the Ellster, is indicated by an inscription 
on a house close by. The battle of Leipsic, which 
lasted four days, history tells us was the most san- 
guinary one on record. It was conducted by the 
greatest generals of modern times. The number of 
cannons brought in the field is estimated at 2,000. 
On the 19th of October, at 11 o'clock A. M., a Prus- 
sian Landwehr Battalion stormed the Grimmer gate 
and eftected an entrance in the town. At twelve 
^N'apoleon quitted the town. The bridge, the only 



Germany. 137 

mode of crossing the river, was prematurely blown 
up, and thousands of the French perished by 
drowning, and among them the Polish General 
Poniatowsky. At one o'clock the Allies entered 
Leipsic. On a hill by the roadside rises an iron 
obelisk, where tradition says the three monarchs, 
of Russia, Prussia and Austria, received the tidings 
of the victory of the 19th of October. After the 
battle there were shells enough picked up in the 
streets and suburbs to build the monument we saw. 
Tradition says an old Gypsy told Poniatowsky that 
an Ellster would be the death of him, but as an 
Ellster is a species of crow, he laughed her predic- 
tion to scorn: but her words came true, for he was 
drowned in the river Ellster. 

Leipsic is one of the busiest cities I saw while in 
Europe. We visited the Zoological Garden and Ska- 
ting Rink, where we heard some grand music, and 
witnessed the antics of the numerous animals be- 
longing to the former; we saw in this garden some 
lovely white pea-fowl, with their young, and an An- 
gora cat, a real beauty. Next day we drove over the 
city and environs, taking refreshments in a handsome 
restaurant, and meeting many distinguished people ; 
drove through all the narrow, crooked streets, and to 
a height planted with trees from which Napoleon 
watched the battle of Leipsic. 

From Leipsic we traveled to Berlin through a dri- 
ving rain; the country is beautiful; everything bears 
evidence of industry and thrift; marshy places, that 



138 Recollections of a Trip to Ear oik. 

naturally would not yield any thing for man or beast, 
are planted in willows for baskets, and on the rocky 
places are sown flower seed; they are one living 
bloom. Every once in a while the cars would stop 
for the passengers to take refreshments; and the 
nicest white bread, sausage and coftee, could be pro- 
cured for a few cents. All along the roadside are the 
loveliest little cottages, completely covered with run- 
ning vines, while the station masters' little houses 
were lovely; their yards were fllled with rare flowers. 

Arrived at Berlin, drove to our hotel in a heavy 
rain. Next morning was bright, clear and cool. We 
went out sight seeing, never having seen all of Ber- 
lin before. We passed several book-stores, where 
General Grant's picture, hung with crape, was in the 
windows, and the Stars and Stripes over the Minis- 
ter's and Consul General's oflice were at half-mast ; 
also over the telegraph and other oflices. 

We went to several more Museums; saw Goethe 
and Schiller's hair; Bread of the Famine; and 
Blucher's Plume, that was picked up in his flight 
from Lubeck; and the Billiard Cue that was taken 
to France by Napoleon, and brought back by Blucher; 
and Queen Louise's last piece of work; Block and 
Axe with which Hoedel was executed for firing on 
Emperor William; Instruments of Torture of olden 
times; Bell rung for executions; and many things 
too numerous to mention. 

We went to the Aquarium, which is very interest- 
ing. Saw some old friends, crabs and oysters. The 



Germany. 139 

bottom of the different tanks are covered with living 
flowers, the most beautiful I ever saw, brought up by 
divers from the bottom of the Mediterranean sea, At- 
lantic ocean, and other large bodies of water. 

In that portion set apart for birds, we saw four 
white Ravens and one black one all in one nest. 

We went one Sunday on a steamer down the river 
Spree, to a place called Treptow, a fashionable resort 
of the Berliners; we met many pleasure boats, some 
of them with the American flag flying; we spent a 
delightful evening, and returned on horse cars. On 
our way a balloon passed over the city, with four men 
in it. 

After we arrived at Berlin, we took supper in a fine 
restaurant, where every room was so crowded we had 
much difiiculty in finding a seat. On the way to the 
restaurant we stopped at the butcher who supplies 
the Emperor's household and bought some tomatoes; 
our friends were surprised that we should eat toma- 
toes. 

Next day we went to see the monument built of 
captured Danish, Austrian and French cannon (60 in 
all). It is called the Monument of Victory ; it rep- 
resents the battles and the generals engaged, and the 
return of the troops, and the people kissing the Em- 
peror's hand. The Avenue of Victory is one of the 
most fashionable promenades of the Berliners, espe- 
cially in Spring. 

It is said the Crown Prince, Frederick William, 
was walkins: on a fashionable street in Berlin one 



140 BecoUections of a Trip to Europe. 

day, accompanied by his wife and three daughters, 
when they met a man with a bundle of faggots. 
The Crown Prince stopped him and told him it was 
•against the law to obstruct the sidewalk. The man 
told him if there was room for himself, wife and 
three daughters to walk abreast, there was certainly 
room for him and his bundle. The Crown Prince 
said pass on my friend. We often met the court 
ladies riding out; some of them are very beautiful. 
We went to a church to see a young couple married 
at four o'clock in the afternoon. The front door 
was locked, but many strangers, among them our- 
selves, went round to the back door, determined to 
see a fashionable marriao:e. The church was dark- 
ened and wax candles lit on the altar. The minister 
was the celebrated Jew hater, St()cker, the one who 
wanted all the Jews driven out of Berlin and all over 
Germany. When Emperor William goes to church 
he won't allow Stocker to preach. The bride and 
groom were seated, and the groomsmen, dressed in 
black suit, white vests and gloves, were seated 
around, each with a piece of music in his hands. 
The organ played and they all joined in singing. 
The bride was beautifully dressed in white satin, 
with a veil down to the hem of her dress, and a 
wreath of orange blossoms and lilies of the valley. 
•She carried a large bouquet of white roses and a 
white velvet prayer book; she wore ^vhite satin 
slippers; no jewelry; nothing but flowers. The 
church w^as crowded with strangers. As the bride 



Germany. 141 

passed to her carriage everybody bowed. I waved 
my handkerehief and they both bowed and smiled. 
We saw several wedding couples after that in car-; 
riages going to church to be married, and I always 
waved my handkerchief (I guess they thought I was 
crazy). One day, while in Berlin, we were walking 
by the castle where the spectral lady appears to de- 
note the death of a member of the house Hoenzol- 
lern. The window^ where she appears was pointed 
out to us, and I was so much in hopes she would 
appear while we were there, but I was disappointed. 
She appeared in Berlin before the death of Prince 
Waldemar, son of the Crown Prince, and frightened 
the guard so he threw his musket away and ran off. 
He was court-martialed, but subsequently forgiven 
by the Emperor. The spectral or white lady is said 
to be the widowed Countess of (3rlamunde. She is 
said to have fallen in love with a young and handsome 
knight, and her affection was not unappreciated by 
the gallant cavalier, but, when the countess ex- 
pressed the wish for marriage, he replied that he 
could not enter the holy bonds of matrimony so 
long as four eyes were in existence. Having two 
children by her former husband, the countess nat- 
urally imagined that they were the obstacle to her 
union with the knight ; so she killed them by run- 
ning one of her golden hair pins through their skulls. 
When the knight learned what the countess had 
done, he refused to marry her. The inhuman 
mother eventually died, but her spirit could never 



142 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

rest, and though she was duly buried she used to 
appear frequently afterwards, foreboding misfortune 
and death. She is said to have appeared to l!^apo- 
leon while at Beyreuth; the first time the 14th of 
May, 1812, while he was on his way to Russia. 
From 1806-1809 she appeared frequently to the offi- 
cers of the French Army. 

Berlin has many elegant monuments, one to the 
eminent oculist, Yon Grafe, who died in 1870; he 
made many wonderful cures. The Invalide Park 
contains an Obelisk, commemorating the loss of the 
Corvette Amazone in 1861 ; and the Warriors' Mon- 
ument, a column of iron, erected in 1854, to the 
memory of soldiers who fell in 1848-'49 ; we also saw 
the Panorama of the Battle of Sedan and Siege of 
Paris, which was so grand no pen can describe. The 
grandest statue said to be in Europe, is of Frederick 
the Great, in bronze, by Ranch, erected in 1851. 
The great King is represented on horseback, with his 
coronation robes and walking stick. The corner- 
stone was laid 31st of May, 1840, the hundredth an- 
niversary of the accession of Frederick to the throne 
of Prussia, and the monument was completed and 
inaugurated in 1851. UnterDer Linden is a beauti- 
ful street, which takes its name from the avenue of 
lime trees, interspersed with chestnuts, with which it 
is planted; it resembles the Boulevards of P^m; it 
is flanked with handsome palaces, spacious hotels 
jand attractive stores. 

In passing over the bridge across the river Spree, 



Germany. 143 

near the King's Palace, we met an old friend, a big 
black roach, on a tramp ; I stopped and saluted him, 
and passed on ; that was the only one I saw in Ger- 
many. I met several colored people on the street. 
The Crown Prince has a black man in his Palace. 
We called with our friend on the Consul-General, 
Mr. Reine. He said he was always glad to see any of 
his American friends; he was just fixing his house; 
his wife spoke more English than German; he said 
he would call on us, but as we expected to leave Ber- 
lin in a short time we never met him again. Our 
friend was very much pleased with Mr. Reine, and 
has met him several times in different gardens with 
his daughter and black servant. 

We also went to see the Japanese. Their work is 
very interesting. The same day we were in a gar- 
den where there were seven bands of music; while 
one was playing we could hear the others at a dis- 
tance. In this garden the elite of Berlin were well 
represented, and English Lords and German Barons 
were as numerous as blackberries on the Stafford 
hills. We went a few miles from Berlin to see the 
fire-works, representing Alexandria, Egypt, bom- 
harded by the English. I can never describe this 
wonderful work and do it full justice, but will try. 
The City of Alexandria is seen by moonlight,, and 
the river is filled with war ships. I noticed one 
American ship, with the Stars and Stripes flying, 
which did not take any part in the fight. When the 
sio:nal was o^iveu the bombardment commenced ; the 



144 Recollections of a Trvp to Eitroi?e. 

very river was on lire ; the explosion of the shells was 
terriffic; a sulphurous smoke overhung the city like 
a funeral pall. When the wind lifted it, the flag of 
the Geneva Cross was seen floating over the hospi- 
tals, and the citj had surrendered. The band played . 
" Watch on the Rhine," " God Save the Queen," 
and "Home, Sweet Home," and the entertainment 
was over. The street cars and every available vehi- 
cle were in demand to convey the vast crowd to the 
city and their homes. In this garden was a diver, 
who Avent down in a large tank of water to show 
people how he brought up bodies from a ship in the 
bottom of the ocean. He said he had brought up 
many from the wreck of the steamer Cambria; he 
was clad in a complete diver's suit; he carried a 
hatchet in his hand to cut awav the timber. 



CHAPTER XI. 



We intended going to Potsdam to see the parade 
in honor of the Emperor of Austria's birthday, hut 
it was raining so hard we did not go. If we had 
have gone we would have seen Emperor WiUiam. 
We went to another garden several miles from Ber- 
lin, where there were all kinds of amusements, even 
to electric cars, and an open air theatre, where four 
Americans played and danced. We went out on 
the railway and returned in street cars. There was 
a splendid ball-room resembling a grotto, lit by 
elegant chandeleirs. In one of the open squares, 
near one of the palaces, is an old woman selling 
fruit, and she was literally covered with birds of all 
kinds. It was very amusing to watch her. The 
birds did not seem to be afraid of her, but she was 
like a tree, completely covered with them. She 
said she saw no peace and was glad when night 
came. We visited many other places of amusement 
too numerous to mention, and stayed three weeks 
longer, going to some public place every day. We 
saw the place where Hoedel was executed, and the 
window from which the emperor was shot, and the 
Imperial Hotel, where Pauline Lucca, the favorite 
court singer, stops, and where the emperor called in 
his carriage and gave her a magnificent bracelet. 



146 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

Emperor William, it is said, has a very extensive 
wardrobe. He is the owner of about as many mili- 
tary uniforms as there are Imperial regiments. He 
has special uniforms that belong to hi^h military 
offices in the armies of Baden, Bavaria, Saxony and 
Wurtemburg, beside others that are peculiar to the 
Austrian Infantry and the Hussars, and four that 
belong to the Russian Army. He is thus enabled 
at a moment's notice to don any costume that di- 
plomatic visits, military reviews, official receptions, 
court balls, or any other occasions of public conse- 
quence, may render desirable. In Berlin the Crown 
Prince is principal of the Art Institute, and on one 
occasion he came accompanied by his daughters, and 
forbid them speaking to the students or disturbing 
them in any way. We have a young relative who 
was a student at the institute. The Crown Prince 
touched him on the shoulder and said: "my friend,' 
I would not mind being an artist myself if I could sit 
all day between two such beautiful ladies as you do." 
The Crown Prince was in Strasburg once at a 
review, and noticed a private soldier looking at him 
very attentively. He said : " My friend, I think I 
have seen you before." The private replied: "I 
know you have, for I was once in the King's guard." 
The Crown Prince asked : "Is that so ? then let us 
shake hands." In a room in the Crown Princes' 
palace, near Potsdam, is a fairy tea service presented 
by a German manufacturer. The tray was beaten 
out of an old Prussian coin, the size of a copper 



Germany. 147 

cent. The tea-pot was made of a coin half the 
size of a cent, and its top of one still smaller. All 
the pieces are put together so nicely — you can easily 
recognize the name on each piece. We went to the 
insane asylum; went all through it. We were the 
guests of one of the teachers who spoke English, as 
did also his wife. As soon as we arrived, the ladies 
of our party were invited in a lovely room over- 
looking the yard of the institution, where we saw 
many of the patients engaged in different employ- 
ment; the first thing we had to take cake and coffee, 
of course. The gentleman had wines and cigars ; 
then we went over the institution ; every thing was 
as clean as a pin. It is a large building; has about 
1,200 inmates, and they were going to build another 
one. They have every kind of amusement for the 
patients, theatres, ball-rooms, gymnastics, and every- 
thing to make them happy. We spent a pleasant 
day, and the teacher, his wife and daughter came 
part of the way home with us. We all stopped at 
a little village where there was a festival going on. 
Garlands were suspended across the street, and 
music and dancing, singing and all kinds of games. 
We had to have more coftee and cake. We stayed 
several hours and went back to Berlin about dark, 
highly pleased Avith our visit. We left Berlin for 
Plan over ; it was raining, and a company of soldiers 
Avere passing headed by a brass band playing a lively 
march. 

We went from Berlin to Hanover, staving a few 



148 Becollections of a Trip to Eurojje. 

days with our friends, visiting the Palm Garden, 
which is covered with glass, and contains beautiful 
fountains and palm trees, and also the new Victoria 
restaurant, Avhich is very line. On several occasions 
we went to see the soldiers drill. 

We left Hanover for Bremen, where we stayed a 
week at Germania Hotel, a nice, quiet house; the 
Proprietor and his wife both speak English. We took 
long walks and drives every day ; and made our pre- 
parations to leave Germany on the 2d of September, 
the anniversary of the battle of Sedan. 

We arrived at Bremerhaven in time to take the 
steamer Nuremberg, Capt. Jaeger, for Baltimore' 
we met a gentleman and his son who went over with 
us in May, and we were delighted that they would 
be our companions on the return voyage ; we had 96 
cabin and 500 steerage passengers, and a rich cargo. 
The first few days were windy and stormy, but after 
that we had nice Aveather. The passengers were all 
very agreeable; we were just like one large family; 
every one had something pleasant to say. We had 
four music teachers, a bride and groom, several gay 
students, who had graduated in Germany ; a private 
tutor, coming to America, with a family, to teach the 
languages and music; a gay party of young people 
from Maryland and Virginia, who were good musi- 
cians; and we had plenty of music and theatricals in 
the saloon, and dancing on deck. It was the cap- 
tain's ninety-sixth trip, and when he made a hundred 
he would get a medal from the Emperor. We saw 



Germany. 149 

several ships and small schooners, and one passed 
quite close to us which had a large dog chained on 
deck, and the young people yelled so loud that the 
dog commenced barking, and kept it up until we got 
out of sight. One night we came near running over 
a large schooner. We saw several icebergs, which 
were some distance from us, and looked like obelisks 
outlined against the sky. When we passed Dover, 
our steamer sent up sky-rockets. A great many of 
the passengers were sea-sick at first, but in a few 
days were all well, with the exception of a few, who 
continued sick the whole voyage. I was not sea-sick 
at all, and occupied a seat in the saloon, most of the 
time reading and writing. In a state-room near, a 
gentleman was playing "Long, Weary Day," on the 
Zither. We were then in mid ocean. 

The captain said he had made 96 trips going and 
coming, which makes 192 times, and he says he never 
had such a gay company of young people. They 
w^ere up to every kind of mischief. One lady said 
she was on the same steamer once, and there was a 
violent storm, and they were all thrown out of their 
berths, and the dishes were all thrown from the 
pantry shelves, and next morning there were no 
dishes to eat breakfast out of Everybody was awful 
sea-sick, and expected to be lost, every moment ; but 
the captain was a good navigator, and the ship strong, 
and they weathered the storm. 

Another lady told me she crossed on the same 
steamer, and in a storm. The were some gay young 



150 Recollections of a Trip to Europe. 

men from the South going to Heidelburg to finish 
their education ; thej were very rich, and spent a 
great deal of money in champagne and cigars, and 
had a lively time in their state-rooms singing songs. 
We made many pleasent acquaintances, and some 
dear friends ; received many invitations to visit 
them. We arrived in Baltimore on the 17th. Some 
of our fellow passengers went with us to the same 
hotel. 

Our pleasent visit is over, and we are at home, 
sweet home, but I will never forget the happy hours 
spent in wandering through the beautiful palaces 
and museums of the Old World. 

O'er the dark waters of the deep blue sea 
Our thoughts bound clear and our hearts are free; 
Far as the breeze can bear the oceans foam, 
Survey our Empire, and behold our home. 



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